Picking Up The Pieces
by MissWikipedia
Summary: Rachel has been hiding behind her confidence. But when something big happens, she realises that it isn't so easy anymore. Who comes to her rescue and helps pick up the pieces of her broken life. Puck/Rachel but has lots of Will/Rachel parent relationship.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi Guys and Girls! Story number 2 is starting. This one is currently longer than my other story 'Our Little Arrangement' so it should keep you all going for a while. Unfortunately, as those who have read my other story will know, I have just moved to a smaller town. I have discovered we don't get mobile or wireless internet like I was using at my old place so I have to use the net at work to post this. This means, until my internet gets sorted, I can't promise regular updates but don't fear… I am still writing!**_

_**This story is inspired by a little girl in my class last year. Let me know what you think.**_

_**Elle xox**_

Chapter 1.

As Rachel packed her suitcase, she couldn't help but think about the drastic turn her day had taken. When she had woken up early that morning, she had been full of energy and excited to go to school. She was planning on informing Mr Schue about some of the proposals she wanted to put in place for glee club.

But things started to go down hill when Mr Schue had someone talk to the class about their hopes, dreams and wishes for the future. Rachel listened as a number of the other girls mentioned they wanted to do things very similar to their mothers and she started to realise just how desperate she was to learn about or meet her mom.

Her dads were strict, very strict. They had hit her quite few times when things had not turned out right. They kept a very disciplined house where Rachel was expected to call her fathers sir and to spend her time doing chores and homework. Music became her lifeline, she would spend any free time she had practising or listening to music. But Rachel knew if she was going to have any chance of ever being able to find her mom, she would need to be brave and talk to them.

The outcome she got, was far from what she expected. She knew they would not be pleased but had hoped they would say no and that would be the end of the conversation. Instead they had yelled about how ungrateful she was being, considering how they had adopted her and looked after her for all these years, beat her and gave her an hour to pack her bags.

Tears ran down Rachel's face as she gathered her essential belongings into two suitcases and a backpack. She would have to go back for the rest later. How could they do this to her? It had taken her several trips to get her things downstairs and with out a second glance from her fathers, she walked out the front door.

She had been wandering around aimlessly for fifteen minutes or so, dragging her suitcases behind her, before she realised she had no idea where to go. Here body was starting to feel the effects of her fathers beating- she was sore. Rachel turned herself around and headed for the school. Maybe the cleaners would still be there and she could spend the night in the auditorium. She always did her best thinking there. Once again, luck was not on her side. The school doors were locked.

Rachel slid to the floor, lent against the wall and sobbed. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and winced at the bruise that was starting to form where she had been hit. She wasn't sure how long she sat there and cried but when Mr Schue had put his hand on her shoulder, she was gasping for breath.

"Rachel! Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice when he saw the black eye she was sporting and her bags. Rachel just leapt into his arms and cried even harder while he rubbed her back soothingly.

When the tears calmed, he asked her, "What happened Rachel?"

"My fathers kicked me out," she cried, "I don't know where to go."

"Oh Rachel, tell me the full story," he said softly. He was silently hoping that he wasn't going to have another teen pregnancy on his hands.

"I told them I wanted to find my birth mother," she explained between gasps, "needless to say the idea didn't go down too well… what am I going to do now Mr Schue? I don't have any friends I can stay with."

"Do you have any family?"

"My dad's families disowned them when they told them they were gay, If there is any, I've never met them," she said quietly, realising just how alone she was now, "even if I had, I'm not sure I would want to stay with them anyway."

"Well then, you can stay with me for now," Will pulled her up and held out his hand to pull her up. He helped her gather her bags into the back of his car.

They drove in silence, neither sure what to say to ease the situation. When they pulled up outside a house, Rachel moved to get her bags out of the car.

"Leave them, Ill get them later," the teacher said leading the tired girl into the house, "just come in and rest for a while." There would be time for a tour later. Rachel sat down on the couch and was asleep within minutes.

While the young girl was sleeping, Will used the opportunity to make a few phone calls.

"Emma, It's Will," he started, "I have a bit of a sensitive situation on my hands here that I think I'm going to need your help with. Can you come around?"

"Is everything alright?" she asked quickly.

"I'll explain it all when you get here… I need to call Principal Figgins as well." They hung up and Will called the principal next. Within twenty minutes Emma Pillsbury was knocking on his door. He led her into the lounge room and indicated to the sleeping girl on his couch. Her eyes widened when she recognised the teen.

"Her parents kicked her out because she asked about her birth mother. I found her crying outside the school," he explained quietly, "she hasn't said anything but I think they are responsible for the bruises she is covered with as well."

The guidance councillor put a hand to her mouth in shock. Before she could say anything, there was another knock at the door. Repeating the story, to his boss the small group moved into the dining room where they could talk without disturbing the girl.

The Principal made a few phone calls to see where they legally stood with handling this situation.

"We are going to have to formally report her to Social Services… She will be placed in temporary care as a ward of the state until they can make other arrangements," he explained when he hung up.

"No! We can't do that to the poor girl, she has been through enough!" Emma argued, "they will put her in a group home or she will be bounced between different foster families and she will get no help. I have seen it countless times before."

"She can stay with me," Will said quietly after a minutes silence, "I'm registered as a foster parent… Terri's sister asked us to when she had the triplets and I never cancelled it when we divorced. I know Rachel, and she won't cope with being moved around very well."

Principal Figgins took a moment to think about the proposal before speaking up, "Ill call Social Services and see if we can arrange this, I agree it would be the best scenario for Ms Berry."

"In the mean time Will," Emma said as she watched her Boss pace while he was on the phone, "have you got somewhere for her to stay? Ill make up the bed if you show me where everything is."

Will smiled over at the guidance councillor and showed her to the spare room, now known as Rachel's room, and got a fresh set of linen out of the cupboard. He carried Rachel's bags in from the car and helped Emma finish making the bed.

"Social Services are sending someone here tomorrow morning to finish the paperwork and talk to you both, but as long as it's alright with you William, Rachel will be staying here indefinitely," Principal Figgins said from the doorway.

Will let out a sigh of relief. At least they could make sure Rachel was being cared for.

"Ill make sure your classes are covered for the rest of the week so you can stay home with her."

He nodded and silently moved to living room. He gently picked up the sleeping girl, placed her down on the bed where Emma removed her shoes and pulled the covers up. Rachel stirred but didn't wake as he shut the door.

After saying goodbye to his guests. Will climbed into bed. He didn't sleep much that night as he thought about the events of the day. It was only going to get harder.

_**Have no fear… this will eventually be a Puckleberry story but there are some necessary events that need to take place first so stick with it.**_

_**Reviews would be amazing =)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Yay! An update! I am so sorry about the lack of updates. As I explained last time, I don't get my usual internet access at my new place. I did try to use the computers at work but my boss wasn't too impressed. Anywho… I'm at my mums for a couple of weeks (holidays!) and so I can use her computer to update. I am supposed to be getting a satellite hooked up onto my roof mid may so once school goes back (fingers crossed) regular updates again.**_

_**As my regular readers will know, I write ahead big time. This story is at 65 000+ words at the moment, so rest assured there is plenty more to come.**_

_**I was overwhelmed by how well received this story was. It means a lot to me and is dedicated to an ex-student of mine. **_

_**Thanks for reading.**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

Rachel woke to the sunlight streaming in on her face. When she opened her eyes she was momentarily startled by her surroundings. Sitting up quickly, the events of yesterday came flooding back to her. She pushed back the tears that threatened to fall, telling herself that she didn't need her fathers and their abusive ways. Looking at the clock and seeing it was 9.30 already, she climbed out of the big bed and ran her hands through her hair. Obviously she was not going to school today. Straightening up her clothes she made her way into the kitchen where her teacher was cooking.

"Rachel! Good morning," Mr Schue said putting a plate of food down in front of her, "You should eat if you're feeling up to it. You didn't eat last night," he said gently.

Rachel took a few bites but mostly pushed the food around her plate. She didn't have much of an appetite. Putting her fork down she looked at her teacher.

"Thank you for letting me stay here last night," she whispered, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't turned up… I'll leave as soon as I'm packed up."

"You aren't going anywhere," Will smiled softly as he cleared their plates, "We need to have a talk about what is going to happen but why don't you go have a shower and get freshened up," he suggested, "the towels are in the hallway cupboard and the bathroom is across from your room."

Rachel nodded. She unzipped her suitcase and took out some fresh clothes and toiletries. She stood under the hot spray of the shower and let the water sooth all her bruised muscles. Climbing out, she looked over her body in the mirror and gasped. Her stomach was bruised, as were her arms and of course she had a black eye. The old scars that lined her back and stomach were more visible against her bruised skin. Her dads had hit her before but she didn't think she had ever seen her body look this battered.

She slipped on a pair of comfy shorts and a singlet top. There wasn't much point hiding the bruises from Mr Schue. He had seen her eye already and she was pretty sure he had a rough idea what had happened.

She shyly walked into the living room and sat down on the opposite side of the couch from her teacher. He took in the sight before him. She had nasty looking bruises on her arms, where it looked like she had been roughly grabbed and pulled along. Though she had covered her black eye with a little make-up, he could still see it was painful when she flinched as she spoke. What concerned him the most however, was the fact some of the bruises looked several days if not weeks old and that she had long scars across the top of her thighs and more scars down her arms, neck and back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

Rachel shrugged, "I'm okay, I guess… A little sore," she blushed as she could feel his eyes brush over her bruises, "Mr Schue… what's going to happen now? I don't have to go back, do I?"

"Ms Pillsbury and Principal Figgins were over last night while you were sleeping," he explained hoping she wouldn't mind him getting the other teachers involved, "they helped me to make a few arrangements. Social Services have been called and informed of your… situation. They are sending someone out this morning to talk to us both… but I have applied to be your foster parent and you will be staying here."

Rachel was speechless. It was too much for her to handle. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this Mr Schue?" she asked, "This is huge."

"Rachel, I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied with a small smile, "and I think it would be fine for you to call me Will outside of school."

The man lent over and wrapped his arms around her. Rachel noticeably flinched at the contact before letting herself collapse into his arms and sob onto his shoulder. He just held her and rubbed her back. They stayed like that for what seemed like ages. Neither moved until there was a knock on the door. Will got up and answered it.

"Mr Schuester?" the woman asked, "I'm Melanie from Social Services."

"Come in," he insisted, "Ill introduce you to Rachel." Will led her into the living room. Rachel got up and stood shyly behind him.

"Rachel, this is Melanie, she is from Social Services. She is here to help," he reassured the girl.

"Hi Rachel," Melanie smiled kindly. Her job involved her dealing with a number of troubled and abused children and she was used to them feeling wary around her. "I'm just here for a chat today," she reassured the girl.

Will indicated for them to sit.

"So Rachel, you know that we have been informed of your situation?" she asked. Rachel nodded silently. "Well, normally in a case like this you would be placed into some form of group care, but since Mr Schuester is a registered foster parent, and he has applied to keep you with him... an ideal scenario really, We have decided that it is in your best interest to stay here with him as your legal guardian. Do you understand what that means?"

Again Rachel nodded. Melanie ran through some of the legal aspects. What it meant for him to be her foster parent and what rights they both had.

"Mr Schuester, would it be okay for me to have a chat with Rachel alone?" Melanie asked. Will nodded and put a reassuring hand on Rachel's shoulder and squeezed.

"Shout if you need me."

"Okay Rachel, I just need to ask you a few questions about what has happened, okay?" she asked, "Can you explain what happened yesterday?" Rachel knew she had no choice so she slowly and quietly explained everything from the talk in glee club through to when Mr Schue brought her home.

"Was this the first time they have hit you?" Melanie tentatively asked although, judging by the visible bruises and scars, she already knew the answer.

Rachel shook her head. Melanie took a few notes and then changed the topic slightly.

"Are you comfortable with staying here and having Will as your legal guardian?" she asked. Rachel nodded.

"Okay, well I'm going to talk to Will for a little while and then ill leave you for today. I'll be back next week when I'll have to ask a few more questions. But before I go… I need to take a few pictures of your injuries to put in your file, would that be okay?"

Rachel hesitated but eventually nodded. The Social Worker took a camera out of her bag and first took a couple of pictures of Rachel's face from different angles and distances. She gently turned the girls arms to get a clear view of the bruises there.

"Are there anymore?" Melanie asked gently. Rachel stood and lifted her shirt high enough to see the dark bruises and older scars and more pictures were taken. Rachel thought it was ironic, normally she thrived over people taking photos of her but this was nothing to be excited about.

"Alright Rachel, we're all done," she smiled, "could you send Will in?"

Rachel walked into the living room, "she wants to talk to you."

Will smiled and made his way into the dining room.

"How much has she told you?" Melanie asked.

"Bits and pieces… I think she… she didn't tell me if she has been hit but I've seen the bruises and scars."

Melanie nodded her understanding.

"She has told me that it was not the first time she has been physically abused. It appears to have been a regular thing," she explained and Will's eyes widened, "… but I think it goes further than physical abuse… they have really got her mentally down as well. The state will require she goes to regular counselling sessions."

"I've never noticed anything before yesterday. She has always been so confident," he was angry with himself for not paying closer attention, "I didn't see anything until yesterday."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Most children in these situations are good at covering it up, and Rachel is no exception… she has had a lot of practice," she explained, "Often these kids act like nothing is wrong until something big happens and all of a sudden it is so obvious. In Rachel's case, I think her getting kicked out was the final straw. Do you think there will be any problem with you being Rachel's legal guardian and her teacher?"

"No, I only teach her for music and Glee club and I have the support of our principal and guidance councillor," he explained.

"Alright, well everything seems in order here, if you could just sign this paperwork it will all be finished for now."

Signing all the required documents, he led Melanie back through the living room, where Rachel was waiting.

"Now if either of you have any questions or problems, don't hesitate to call me," Melanie said handing over a business card.

* * *

Will made a round of sandwiches (which Rachel didn't eat) and the pair settled down to watch a movie. When the movie finished around two o'clock he turned to her.

"I have to go into the school to change your contact details and because Principal Figgins couldn't get a substitute for Glee," he explained, "Do you want to come or stay here?"

Rachel hesitated, a slight look of panic on her face, "I don't want to stay here by myself but I don't want to explain everything to the other Glee kids yet," she explained.

Will was sympathetic, he would never truly understand what she was going through, "why don't you come with me and you can stay in my office," he suggested quietly.

When she nodded her approval at the idea they started to get ready, "you uh… might want to put a jacket on," he suggested indicating to the bruises that were getting blacker and more obvious by the minute. Rachel looked away from his gaze, and grabbed a jacket out of her bag. They bundled into his car and were soon pulling into the staff carpark at the school.

Rachel followed him quickly to his office while the other students were all in their classes and sat down at his desk, "can you please get my homework?" she asked quietly.

"Rachel, you have had a rough week, it's okay to not do school work for a change," he said giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, "I won't be too long."

Rachel pulled out her iPod, a notebook and pencil. Turning on her music, she started to draw. It was an activity that helped calm her mind when she had been banned from playing music at her fathers house and she was very good at it.

Will's first stop was Emma's office.

"Will! Hi," she stood to greet him, "how is Rachel going?"

"She's okay given the circumstances… she's in my office listening to her music," he explained, "I'm on my way to admin to change over her contact details. Do you mind checking on her in about 15 minutes or so?"

"Not at all," she assured him, "how did everything go with Social Services?"

"Well, apparently this isn't the first time she has been hit… it's been going on for years. All in all, she won't be going back there," he told her.

"She's a strong girl… I have no doubt you will be good for her," the guidance councillor responded.

Will's next stop was the admin office. Asking for Rachel's records he found her fathers' names had already been removed and his name had been added under the 'parent and guardian' section. Principal Figgins must have organised this and let the staff know what was going on because the receptionist patted his hand supportively. He filled in the missing contact details and slipped her Social Services paperwork into the file before handing it back to the receptionist. He was about to walk out the office when a short, pretty and familiar looking woman walked in.

"Mr Schuester?" she said, "I'm Rebekah Puckerman, My son Noah is in your glee club and if my memory serves me correctly, I think we went to school together here."

"I know who you are, Mrs Puckerman and I remember you from school," he assured her with a small smile, "how are you?"

"I'm fine thank you and please, call me Rebekah. I'm just here to change my work details. How are you? You look exhausted, is my son giving you trouble again? I know he can be a handful," she rambled on.

"I've had a rough few days but things are starting to get better. Rest assured, it is not your son," he responded.

"Is everything alright?" she asked concerned. Will hesitated about whether or not to share Rachel's story with her. He knew Rebekah was Jewish and would be a good influence for Rachel.

"Uh I found one of my 15 year old students outside the school yesterday. She had been beaten and kicked out of her house. To cut a long story short. She is now in my care," he explained quietly to the woman.

"Oh my, that's horrible!" she gasped, "how is she? How are you?"

"She's okay, given everything that has happened and I'm just worried for her," he replied.

"I'm sure she will be okay. I had a horrible upbringing and I turned out just fine," Rebekah admitted, "Please make sure you call me if there is anything I can do?"

Will was shocked by her admission.

"Actually Rebekah, I would appreciate her having someone to talk to away from the school, if you don't mind… its even better that you're Jewish too… I don't know much about the religion," muttered.

"She's Jewish?"

"Yes, you might know her… she's in glee and dated your son for a while. Rachel Berry," he said quietly.

"Oh dear! That poor girl! I always knew there was something not quite right in that family. At temple Rachel is silent and always walks behind them… very different to the bright girl I see at your glee shows. Now that I think about it, her parents hardly ever acknowledged her. How about we come around for dinner Saturday night?" she suggested, "Ill have a chat to her, girl to girl. It would be good for my kids to have a male to talk to as well… particularly for Noah."

"That would be good," he admitted. Will handed over his address and contact details and Rebekah did the same, "how does 7 o'clock sound?"

* * *

**_Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think =)_**

**_Also, for those who have read or are reading my other story 'Our Little Arrangement' how do you want the wedding night to pan out? Do you want me to write Puck and Rachel in an 'intimate' sense or keep it clean. I have written it in such a way that i could take it out if my readers weren't keen on it. I don't know. I'm on the fence with it._**

**_Elle_**

**_xxx  
_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Here you go- Chapter 3. Thanks for all the reviews with the last update. They keep me motivated. Totally loved the little Puck/Rachel moment in ' Born This Way'… very cute. Anywho… Noah and his family get involved in the next few chapters. I struggled to choose where to divide the text but have finally come up with a combination I am happy with.**_

_**I will update again before I head back to my house and hopefully my internet will be sorted!**_

_**Thanks for reading=)**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

Rachel was quietly humming away to her iPod when there was a knock on Will's office door. She relaxed significantly when Ms Pillsbury poked her head around the door and not a fellow student.

"Hi Rachel," she said softly, sitting down across from the girl, "How are you going?" she asked sympathetically as she watched the teens unique artwork take shape. What were seemingly random lines and patterns suddenly morphed into a sketch of dancer before her eyes. Emma was amazed at the amount of talent within this girl.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders in reply and went back to her drawing. Ms Pillsbury couldn't help but notice how childlike Rachel looked sitting there sketching. She had yet to say a word and Emma was beginning to get the feeling she wasn't going too anytime soon, at least to her. She took note of the visible bruises covering the girls body, poking out from under her clothing.

"You know you can talk to me if you need too, don't you Rachel?"

Rachel looked up from her drawing and looked at the guidance councillor. She was still for a minute before finally nodding and giving the lady a small smile.

Emma was on her way back to her office when she ran into the girl's foster father.

"I just checked on Rachel… She didn't say a word to me while I was in there, which is really not like her… I think she needs to talk to someone," she said, "has she said much to you?"

"Yeah I know. She has closed herself off. She has told me some stuff but she is certainly not her normal self," Will stated, "I just ran into Puck's mom Rebekah, she had a similar upbringing and is going to come over and talk to her on Saturday. I think it will be good for her."

"That is a fabulous idea, as long as she is talking to someone. I saw all those bruises…" her voice drifted off.

"I know…I've got to go. I want to check on her before I head to Glee," he explained, "we might cut practise short so I can take her home."

When he walked back into his office, Rachel hadn't moved much she looked up and smiled at him.

"So it's official… I'm your legal guardian in all respects now," he said with a smile as he lent on the table next to her, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, Ill be okay," she said. He could see that she was putting on a brave face and opened up his arms for a hug which she readily accepted. She had never been comforted by her fathers before, so hugging was a new concept to her. Rachel couldn't explain it, but she felt so safe in his arms. She didn't cry this time. She was sick of crying over her fathers when they obviously didn't care about her.

"I have to go to Glee but Ill cut practice short today so we can go home," he told her. She nodded in his arms. Normally she would hate the idea of them cutting a rehearsal for personal reasons but she was beginning to understand why it was sometimes necessary.

* * *

When Mr Schuester walked into the choir room in time for practise, all the glee club members, except Rachel, were ready and waiting to see if they had a substitute teacher for the day.

"Mr Schue! We didn't know if we were having Glee practise today because you weren't in class all day," Finn said for the group.

"I'm sorry guys, I've had a few issues I had to deal with… I'm going to need to cut practise short today," the teacher explained.

"It's alright Mr Schue, Rachel hasn't been at school either so we can't really practise much without her anyway," Tina added, "she's our star." They ran through a few numbers with Quinn and Tina taking turns at trying Rachel's solos.

"Alright guys, I'm really sorry but I have to go," he said apologetically, "Practise hard over the weekend and I will see you on Monday." He walked slowly back to his office leaving time to make sure the halls would be clear and no one would see Rachel and him leaving together.

"The others all missed you in Glee today," he said hoping to lift her spirits. She looked over at him as if she didn't believe a word he said, "They all noticed you weren't here all day… I know you don't think of many of them as your friends Rachel but just look at the way they all stick up for you when you get slushied by the jocks… they are being sincere in their offers for friendship and you could use some friends right now."

Rachel thought it over and knew he was right but it was hard not to be wary when the girls who used to make her life hell were suddenly interested in her.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you, we have guests for dinner on Saturday," he told her. She looked over at him with questioning eyes, wondering who he had invited over. Probably Ms Pillsbury she thought.

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"Just an old friend of mine from school," he replied allusively.

At dinner, Rachel once again pushed her food around her plate only eating a couple of mouthfuls. She looked exhausted so Will didn't push it, instead suggesting she turn in early and got a goodnight sleep.

* * *

Rachel woke late on Saturday morning. She couldn't believe how much better a decent nights sleep made her feel. Padding out to kitchen in her pyjamas, she helped herself to a cup of tea and found Will in the living room watching TV.

"You can choose," he said throwing her the TV remote, "I've seen the news twice this morning… and it's all depressing" She smiled softly and quickly flicked to the music station.

MC Hammer's 'Can't Touch This' filled the room and Will laughed, "You know, this song was the 'in thing' when I was about your age. Now it's a joke."

Rachel cringed at the thought, "I don't think it's the song that's bad… more like the video clip, those pants should be illegal," she laughed, "Did you know Mercedes, Kurt, Artie, Tina, and Brittany sang this song in the library when the Glist was going around… they were trying to get more points," For a moment everything seemed normal and then she remembered she wasn't supposed to be happy. Her fathers had kicked her out without a hesitation. They had made no effort to make sure she was okay. The thought made her sigh and Will was pretty sure he knew what she was thinking.

The pair had a pretty uneventful day. Will had gone to do grocery shopping while Rachel freshened up for the day. He was determined to get her to eat a decent meal today and would need supplies to do so. Rachel spent the day engrossed in a book she found on the shelf in the living room. At six in the evening, Will poked his head into the living room.

"Our dinner guests will be here in an hour or so if you want to get ready," he told her with a smile.

Rachel put a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt with capped sleeves on. Her bruises could still be seen but she could cover them with a jacket. Her eye was a different story. Although she had learnt to cover bruises relatively early, the size and location of her black eye was difficult and painful to disguise.

* * *

Puck was angry. His mother had cornered him in his room the night before telling him he was to be home tomorrow night because they were going to dinner at a friend's house. When he had questioned where they were going she had simply explained that a friends daughter was going through a really rough patch and their father had asked for her to come and talk to her. He didn't understand why he and his 8 year old sister needed to be there too but his mother had been adamant.

"Noah it's time to go!" Rebekah called from down stairs. He slowly made his way to her. "Could you walk any slower?" she joked.

"I don't like being forced to go somewhere when I already had plans," he muttered.

"Oh Noah, stop your whining… a night in front of your x-box is not plans," she answered, kissing his forehead and loading them all into the car. A short trip later they were pulling up outside an apartment building. Looking out the passenger window, Puck recognised the building.

"Uh Mom?" he started, "this is Mr Schue's building…"

"Yes, we're here to see him," his mom said not giving him any information.

"I thought we were going to your friends house so you could talk to their daughter… you do know Mr Schue doesn't have a daughter, right?"

"Just hurry up Noah," she said rolling her eyes. He was beginning to get the feeling that she was lying to him and was hoping she wasn't dating his teacher and had brought them around to meet him officially. How awkward would that be! Little did he know how wrong he was.

Rebekah rung the doorbell and laughed at her son who was still confused.

* * *

Rachel was still getting ready when the doorbell rang. Will rolled his eyes as he moved to open the door. That's what you get when you have a fifteen year old girl living in the house, he thought.

"Rebekah, Hi, come in," he said holding the door open.

"Thank you Will, you know Noah…" she said

"Mr Schue," Puck acknowledged his teacher.

"and this is my daughter, Hannah," she said ruffling the little girls hair, "Just excuse Noah, he is still confused why we are here… how is she?"

"She's okay, given the circumstances… if either of you can get her to talk or eat, I will be forever in your debt. I've only been able to get her to eat a few bites since it all happened," he answered sincerely, "I'm starting to get concerned." Noah was starting to realise that maybe he didn't know his teacher as well as he thought he did. Something was seriously worrying the man and it was evident through the way he spoke about his daughter.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a daughter Mr Schue?" Puck asked at watching the exchange.

"It's a bit of a long story Puck… I mean, Noah," the teacher explained running a hand through his hair, "You will understand soon enough, but she has had a rough couple of days so keep that in mind and try not to give her a hard time."

"Our guests are here!" he called down the hallway as he led the group into the dining room, "Hopefully she will come and be social," He said quietly to the group. Noah could hear a door open and close and then footsteps getting closer.

* * *

_**Don't forget to review! You know I love them!**_

_**AN: I will be updating 'Our Little Arrangement' over the next few days. I had planned to do them at the same time but I re-read the chapter and it needs some tweaking.**_

_**Elle xox**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey guys! One more update before I head back to my house. It's a little shorter than normal but I wanted to keep it separate from the next chapter. As promised, this chapter deals with Pucks reaction- I hope I've done it justice. I have had confirmation that the internet company are putting a satellite on my roof next week. I am assuming this means I will have internet access soon after.**_

_**Thanks for reading. Elle xox**_

* * *

_**Chapter Four:**_

"Our guests are here!" Rachel heard Will call down the hall. She ran her hands through her hair one last time before opening her door and heading down to the dining room. When she made it to the doorway, she froze as her eyes met those of Noah Puckerman. From the look on his face, he was obviously just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She could feel his gaze on her and realised she had forgotten to put her jacket on.

Noah took in the sight before him. Rachel Berry was standing in front of him covered in bruises and with a whopper of a black eye peeking out from under her make-up. She folded her arms over her chest protectively in a panic, turned on her heel and fled quickly back down to her room.

"I take it you didn't tell her who was coming over," his mom said with a soft laugh.

"Given everything that has happened, I figured she might do a runner," Will admitted, "looks like I was right. Sorry, I'll just go calm her down," He stood up to go after her but he was stopped when Rebekah put a hand on his arm.

"Let me go," she said.

He sat back down and pointed the way, "her room is down the hall, second door on the right."

The group left in the kitchen sat in silence for a minute before Noah turned to his sister.

"Hannah, why don't you go into the living room and watch TV… I'm pretty sure Mr Schue has cable." The little girl's eyes widened and she made a run for it with Mr Schue laughing at how easily she had been convinced.

"Okay… so I'm confused… Rachel is your daughter?" Noah asked.

"Foster daughter, yes," Mr Schuester explained as he sighed, he knew he was going to have to explain now, "she hasn't been here long. I found her at school in a pretty bad shape. Her fathers kicked her out… Look Puck, she's not in a good place at the moment… her fathers are not nice men, they have been beating her for years."

Noah was finally putting all the pieces together, "… and that's why you want my Mom to talk to her," he finished for his teacher. He was not oblivious to the fact his Mom's parents were abusive. His mom had told him that story many years ago, "and why you both haven't been at school."

Mr Schue nodded, "she won't eat… I don't know what else to do."

* * *

Rebekah knocked on the door to Rachel's room. Hearing the girl sobbing she gently pushed the door open found the girl lying face down on her bed. She sat down next to Rachel and rubbed her back soothingly. She felt Rachel tense under her touch but continued the gentle rubbing. When her crying softened, Rebekah spoke up.

"You know, I was about your age when I ran away from my parents house. My dad used to hit me, used to order me to do all sorts of ridiculous chores around the house. The day he decided I couldn't go to the school dance because I hadn't cleaned the bathroom to his liking, I decided to leave. I packed my bags and left the next day… I walked myself straight to the police station and made a formal report. It was without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done," the woman said while she continued to rub the girls back, "You are really lucky to have Will looking after you... trust me, I know the foster care system."

Rachel turned onto her back and looked at the woman, "I just wish everything was easier," she admitted, "why couldn't I have a normal childhood like everyone else? Didn't you ever want that?"

"Absolutely! Its unfair that we have had to deal with this while other kids only had to worry about doing homework or a few chores… It might seem hard now but in ten years time, you will be a stronger person for having the courage to stand up to your parents. If I didn't leave when I did, Noah wouldn't be here today, I met his dad at school and was nearly eighteen when I had him. Although things with his dad and I went south, I wouldn't change it for the world…"

Rachel sat up and wiped her eyes and Rebekah continued.

"Will is really worried about you… he says you have hardly eaten anything and haven't spoken much to anyone… and I get it, I really do, but this is never going to get easier unless you let people help you and you start helping yourself."

Rachel stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Her crying had made her make-up run and her eye was looking worse than before. She took out a wipe and wiped of the remaining make up off her face. It was pointless trying to hide anything now.

"Okay, I'll try," she said. Rebekah smiled and took the girls hand.

* * *

"Ill help you serve up dinner," Noah suggested and together they dished up five bowls of spaghetti.

Will and Noah were talking quietly when they heard the door to Rachel's room open.

Seeing Rachel and his mom enter the room Noah muttered, "Ill go get Hannah," and excused himself from the room to give them a minute. Will took in Rachel's face. Her eyes were red from crying but she had a slight smile on her face. She rushed into his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Noah and Hannah walked back into the room to see his school friend in the arms of his teacher. She turned to look at him and his sister.

"Noah, Hannah," she acknowledged them both, knowing Noah now knew her biggest secret.

"Rachel," he smiled back.

They sat down and Will passed out the bowls. They all tried really hard not to watch as Rachel twisted spaghetti around her fork and tentatively put it in her mouth. Chewing, she realised just how hungry she was and stuffed another mouthful in. They all smiled discretely and Will looked over at Rebekah and mouthed 'thank you.'

After they all, including Rachel, had stuffed themselves silly, they chatted casually for a while. Noah took the time to watch Rachel. She was sitting silently listening to their conversations but she was staring at her thumbs. After a little while she got up and silently walked into the living room.

"Ill go," Noah said to the adults who had watched her leave. Walking into the living room he saw her curled up on the couch looking out the window.

"Your Mom is really nice," she said when she heard him come into the room but she didn't turn to face him. Rachel had met Noah's family before, when they were dating and occasionally at temple, but it had been so brief and her fathers always found an excuse for why she couldn't talk.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome," he replied, walking over to her. He put a hand on her shoulder supportively but she jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked almost automatically and her hands balled into fists, "…sorry," she told him apologetically, her eyes filling with tears again.

"I'm not going to hurt you Rach," he whispered and she locked eyes with him. After a minute or so of silence, she nodded and he tried again. Noah put his hand on her shoulder and this time she flinched at the contact but she didn't jerk away. Seeing the lone tear run down her cheek, he didn't push her confidence, and took his hand away after only a few seconds. He moved to sit next to her making sure to keep a reasonable distance between them so she wouldn't get uncomfortable.

"Did Mr Schue tell you why my parents kicked me out?" she asked bravely. He shook his head.

"I told them I wanted to find my birth-mother… I just wanted to know if I was like her, I didn't want any of this to happen," she admitted quietly.

"Rach, your dad's are jerks… if they couldn't see how lucky they were to have a daughter like you, it's their loss," he told her honestly, "If Beth turned out half as amazing as you, I would be extremely proud. Mr Schue will never let anything like shit that happen again."

"I know…" she replied with a smile, "you know Noah, you're really quite lovely when you aren't being a badass."

"Yeah well I may like my reputation… but I'm not a complete jerk... I'm really sorry about the way we have treated you over the years. You didn't deserve any of it… When are you coming back to school?" he asked.

"Monday," she declared, "I just want to get back into a routine."

* * *

_**So now Puck knows! I just couldn't imagine him being a Jerk to her after he found out about her past.**_

_**Let me know what you think =)  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I have been overwhelmed with the support this story has received! It's so exciting to know that people care about the crazy ideas my brain comes up with! I have this story all mapped out. I find this story line really easy to keep up (at least for now!). Please let me know what you think.**_

_**Before I wrote 'Picking Up The Pieces' I wrote another story with a similar (but still very different) storyline. It's about 6000 words long, so not as long as my other stories. What I wanted to know was, do you want me to post it as well. As I said, it is similar in that it deals with the foster system but still vastly different. It doesn't have a name yet… can't quite get my head around that one, so I am looking for assistance!**_

* * *

Monday morning came soon enough and when Rachel came down the hall, Will noticed she was dressed differently to what she would normally wear to school. The skirt and sweater were gone and replaced with jeans and baby doll top. He figured the clothing change had something to do with covering up the still visible, excessive bruises. Rachel's eye was not as swollen or dark as it had been and she was able to mostly cover the bruise with make-up.

She helped herself to cereal for breakfast and Will let out a sigh of relief that she was eating again.

"What do you want for lunch?" he asked.

"Uh, ill just make a sandwich or something," she told him putting her bowl in the dishwasher and pulling out the ingredients for two sandwiches. While Will finished getting ready for work, Rachel made them both lunch.

"Are you ready Rachel? We need to go," Will called from the front door.

"Coming!" she called picking up her book bag and the lunch she had made for them, "You forgot your lunch," she said handing him a paper bag with a sandwich in it. He took this as a good sign, that she was thinking about eating.

* * *

They arrived at school early so Rachel was sitting on the floor behind his desk reading her history textbook. She was obviously not her normal chatty self and had only spoken to a few select people. To everyone else she was silent. There was a knock at the door to his office.

"Hi Mr Schue, is Rachel coming to school today?" Noah asked as he came into the room- not seeing her sitting on the floor, "We have history together first and I thought she might like some company."

"I'm sure she would appreciate that," he said with a small smirk before looking down onto the floor next to him, "wouldn't you Rachel?"

Noah's eyes widened when he finally realised she was in the room the whole time anyway. Rachel stood and gathered her books with a nod. She had covered her eye with a lot of make-up and unless you knew it was there, it couldn't be seen.

"Come and see me if you have any problems," he said as the pair left his office.

Noah walked her to her locker and she changed over her books, "your eye looks better today," he said awkwardly. Rachel could see that he was trying not to make her uncomfortable and smiled at him.

They received a few odd looks as they walked silently to class together and Mrs Harper smiled kindly at Rachel. The school staff had been informed of the basic details of Rachel's situation so they knew what to expect and what they should and shouldn't do, however many of her peers, particularly those who were in glee club with her, were shocked by how silent she was being and couldn't believe Puck was following her around like a lost puppy.

"Rachel, are you still sick or something?" Mercedes asked at lunch, "because we haven't heard one diva comment from your mouth all day… in fact I don't think you have said anything all day"

Puck looked over at Rachel, curious as to how she was going to handle it. She shrugged her shoulders silently and collected her book bag. The group watched as she walked out of the room. Noah got up to follow her but was stopped by Artie.

"What is going on with her?" he asked the boy, "we've seen you walking with her all day and she certainly hasn't been herself. Should we be worried?"

"Uh guys, she has some pretty fucking intense stuff going on at home… my mom happens to be friends with her dad so… they asked me to keep an eye on her." he started, technically it wasn't a lie, "I'm sure she will tell you all eventually but it's going to take her a while to process."

He didn't give them any chance argue with his response and stormed off looking for Rachel. They all understood that it had to be something serious if Puck was defending her.

* * *

"Everyone keeps looking at me or asking me what is wrong… I don't want to go to class," Rachel said when she heard Noah come up behind her in the auditorium. Although Noah had expected this response, he was still surprised to hear it come from Rachel who probably hadn't skipped a class in her life.

"I'm sure that's understandable," he said gently, "I'm staying with you though."

They sat in silence for quite a while.

"I thought things would be easier when I came back to school," Rachel grumbled after the bell had rung.

"Rach, don't hate me for saying this… but I really think you should talk to Ms Pillsbury about this," he urged her, "My mom is great to talk to and stuff and I know she knows how you feel, but Ms P can help you at school. People are starting to notice that you are only talking to me and Mr Schue and if that keeps going, they are going to figure stuff out."

Rachel looked at him and could see the sincerity in his eyes. She knew that she was only talking when necessary and even then, to only Will and the Puckerman family, but she didn't really feel like dealing with anyone else.

"Do you really think things will get easier if I talk to her?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know Rach… but it can't hurt to give it a go," he suggested with a shrug.

"Will you come with me?" she whispered. He looked at her and smiled.

"Sure."

* * *

Mr Schuester was in his Spanish classroom supervising his students completing a test, when a receptionist from the office came in to speak to him.

"Sorry to interrupt your class Mr Schuester," she said apologetically, "but your um… daughter hasn't returned to class after lunch, do you want us to follow it up or would you like to handle it yourself?" The lady was trying to be discrete but still give the teacher the necessary information.

The group of students all looked up at hearing about Mr Schue's 'daughter.'

"Ah, have you got a list of the other students who aren't in class?" he asked her. The woman handed over her clipboard and he scanned the list of students until his eyes fell upon Noah Puckerman's name.

"No it's okay, I know where she is… I'll talk to her later," he reassured the woman before turning back to the class and telling them to get on with their test. There were sure to be rumours floating around the school now.

* * *

"uh… I don't know if I can do this," Rachel hesitated outside the guidance councillor's office.

"It will be fine, come on, I told you I would stay with you if you need me too," he gave her a gentle nudge and knocked on the door.

"Hi Ms Pillsbury… Have you got a minute?" he said walking into the room, pulling Rachel gently in with him, "Rachel is here to have a little chat."

"Of course, come on in," she said with a bright smile, "how are you going Rachel?"

Rachel looked away shyly and shrugged.

"Come on Rach, we talked about this," Noah prompted her. She looked at him quickly and then looked back at the councillor. Noah wasn't oblivious to the fact she hadn't held eye contact with anyone for more than a few seconds and that he was lucky she was looking at him at all.

"I'm okay, I guess," she said quietly, clearly uncomfortable.

"Do you want Puck to stay here while we talk?" Emma asked the girl, hoping she would say yes. The teenage boy seemed to have the knack for getting her to speak.

Rachel grasped at her friends arm and nodded.

Emma knew this was going to be a sensitive topic to talk about with the girl but didn't want to push her.

"Alright, well how about we start at the beginning," she suggested, "we can stop whenever you need to."

With a bit of persuading from her friend, Rachel recapped the events of the past week. She couldn't help but cry again. Noah wasn't sure what to do, he had heard bits and pieces from his mom and Mr Schue but hearing it come from Rachel was an entirely different story, even though he was pretty sure she was skipping a few details. He had never seen the girl in front of him look so broken. In fact, he didn't think he had ever seen anyone this distraught.

"Rachel, would it be okay if Puck went back to his class now?" she said as she came to sit closely in front of the sobbing girl. Rachel nodded and Noah gently kissed her forehead. She pulled away slightly but eventually relaxed into his touch.

"Ill talk to you later," he said before slowly making his way straight to Mr Schue's class.

He knocked on the door and pushed it open slightly. When the teacher saw him standing at the door he quickly stood.

"Puck! Is she with you? Is she okay?" he said, worried for a moment when he saw that the boy was alone. Noah looked around the room and saw that several students had looked up to watch the interaction. He would have to be careful about what he said.

"Ah, she was… I just left her with Ms Pillsbury. She was… upset," he said discretely, hoping the older man would understand what he was saying.

"Oh thank god, she is finally speaking to someone… I owe you," Mr Schue said patting the boy on the shoulder, "Now get back to class before your mother kills you… and me."

* * *

By the end of the school day, word had spread that Mr Schue had a teenage daughter who attended the school and that Puck knew who she was. When Puck walked into the choir room everyone stopped talking and looked at him.

"You knew Mr Schue has a daughter?" Finn accused.

"Uh, yeah… it's no big deal… she's a friend of mine," he said trying to take the spotlight off himself. He quickly glanced over at Rachel whose cheeks had a reddish tinge to them as she tried to ignore the conversation. He knew she was worried about everyone finding out. Thankfully no one had enough information to put two and two together.

"Friend? You don't have female friends! Who is she?" Quinn demanded, "Do we know her?"

"Oh no, I'm not giving away anymore information than I already have. Just drop it," he responded before turning his attention to the teacher who just entered the room. Unfortunately for Mr Schue, the mob weren't going to give up that easy.

"Mr Schue!" Kurt called, "why didn't you tell us you had a daughter?"

"Um, because you didn't need to know," he replied, caught off guard.

"Then why does Puck know her?" someone asked.

Will raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Puck.

"I didn't tell them anything," the teen said throwing his hands up, "Those nosy punks in your Spanish class musta let it slip when I came to talk to you about her… they know nothing more than the fact you have a daughter who goes to this school and that she is a friend of mine." He looked around at the remaining teens and gave them a warning look.

"Can we move on now?" Mr Schue asked not waiting for an answer.

* * *

That evening, Rachel was helping out with the dishes. The hot water surprised her and she dropped a plate, smashing it into small pieces. Will moved to help her clean it up but she jumped away from him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry… I didn't mean to!" she shrieked, her eyes filling with panic.

Will was surprised by her reaction. The girl looked terrified over a broken plate. "It's okay Rachel," he tried to reassure her. "I know you didn't mean too… it was just an accident and it is only a plate."

He took a step closer to her and she pulled back, her eyes wincing shut as she cowered away from him, "please don't hit me!" she pleaded, "I'm already sore!... I didn't mean too."

Will froze on the spot. It was obvious she thought she was going to be punished and he was horrified to learn she thought he would hit her. "Oh Rachel!" he whispered, "I'm never going to hit you. That's not going to happen here." The man gently pulled the teen towards him and held her against him while she sobbed.

* * *

_**Okay, so not really a happy ending. I was watching a repeat of Bones the other night and Dr Brennan was talking about how one of her foster parents locked her in the car for breaking a dish… I thought it might be interesting to show Rachel's insecurities about staying at Will's house.**_

_**Please read my note at the start in regards to my unpublished story... i need convincing and assistance!**_

_**Elle xox  
**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Here is the next chapter… and it's a long one! Yay! Once I decide on a name for my other story, I'll start posting it. The naming part has been rather difficult and it is currently called untitled! Hope you like this chapter!**_

* * *

It was Friday afternoon, nearly three weeks since Rachel had moved in with her teacher, when Puck was pulled from his English class to Mr Schue's office. Rachel was still only talking to Ms Pillsbury (and only when necessary), Mr Schue, Rebekah and Puck although she had started answering questions when they were directed specifically at her.

"Noah, sorry to pull you from your class," the teacher apologised.

"It's all good, I wasn't paying attention anyway… that dude is fucking boring," he grumbled.

Will wasn't sure how to respond to that statement so instead decided to change the topic back to the original reason he had asked the boy to his office.

"Uh, I wanted to get your help with something," he started, "While Rachel is starting to talk more she is still refusing to unpack her bags at my place. I spoke to Emma… I mean, Ms Pillsbury, about it yesterday and she said that Rachel thinks that eventually I'll decide she has to leave… which, for the record, isn't going to happen… do you have any suggestions?"

"Don't take this the wrong way Mr Schue but you gotta admit… your place is great and all and you are way _way _nicer than her fathers were, but it's your place… not a lot of her around there," he explained, "I haven't been in her room or anything but I'm willing to bet it still looks like it's your guest room not like its Rachel's room… she probably left a lot of things at her Fathers place that she didn't want to leave behind as well."

"Oh, I guess I hadn't thought of that," Will admitted, "so you think I should put more 'Rachel' in the house?"

"If you're serious about her staying with you, then yeah," Puck nodded, "it probably doesn't even need to be the whole house, but at least her room."

"I don't suppose you know anyone who could help me with that," the teacher asked.

Puck was about to say no when he had a thought, "uh, I can get this sorted for you… if you let me let Kurt in on this secret," he suggested, "I won't tell him anything, just let him figure it out for himself."

Will hesitated, he wasn't too sure Rachel would appreciate Kurt being informed of her biggest secret. It was common knowledge that they weren't exactly friends at school.

"Look, Kurt's an idiot but he is not completely insensitive," Puck explained, "he wouldn't use this against Rachel and I have noticed them talking more often since he came back from Dalton Academy."

"Okay, but if this backfires, I'm blaming you," the teacher said uncertainly and the boy laughed.

"Ill have mom get her out of the house tomorrow," he called as he left the office.

Later that evening Puck scrolled through his phone looking for Kurt's phone number. Mr Schue had made them all exchange phone numbers in case of emergencies on their many field trips to different shows. It only rang twice before Kurt answered.

"Well well, Mr Puckerman… what did I do to be graced with a phone call from a hottie like you."

"Can it Hummel, I have a favour to ask," he sneered.

"I'm listening," Kurt responded.

"I need help re-designing a bedroom tomorrow and since your all in to interior decorating and shit, I thought of you…" Puck explained.

"Touched as I am, why would I be interested in helping with this?" Kurt asked curiously.

"because I'm desperate here… and because if you do… I'll tell you a piece of information I know you are dying to hear," Puck informed him, "but you have to promise to not ask questions until I say its okay… are you in or out."

"Oh secretive…I'm in… you had me at 'interior decorating' I never thought those words would come from your mouth," he laughed, "so what details am I privy too?"

"Not much past the fact I will pick you up at 8.30 tomorrow morning," Puck responded gruffly, "It's kind of a sensitive situation… if you can't handle that you need to tell me now."

"It's okay, I'm intrigued. Count me in," Kurt replied.

"Be ready by 8.30," Puck ordered before hanging up.

* * *

At 8.25 the next morning, Noah Puckerman pulled into the Hummel driveway and Kurt, who had been waiting out the front, climbed into his truck.

"I have to admit Puck, I'm surprised you're here early…I've been looking forward to our little outing," he said.

"Ha! Don't give me that shit… you're looking forward to hearing the gossip I have to share," Puck bit back.

"True! True!" Kurt admitted, "… so can you tell me anything about this room we are decorating."

"Uh, it belongs to a friend of mine," Puck replied purposely not giving away any information. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Male or female?"

"Female," he said.

"Figures!"

They drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence as they listened to the radio. Kurt looked over at him curiously when he pulled up outside Mr Schue's house. The Glee club had been to their teachers' house on several occasions before big performances to discuss set lists.

"Uh, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"I told you, you would find out a piece of gossip you were dying to know… if you keep your mouth shut I might tell you who Mr Schue's daughter is," Puck replied, "Like I said yesterday, it's a _very_ sensitive situation… you need to be aware of that. If you can't handle it, I'll take you back now," Climbing out of the car, he silently praying Rachel wouldn't kill him when she found out he got Kurt involved, "now hurry up, we have a lot to do."

They walked up the drive with Noah muttering a '_who am I kidding, she's gonna kill me for telling you this._' Kurt looked at Puck shocked at the footballers' admission.

He knocked on the door and a few seconds later their teacher answered.

"Hi Noah," he greeted the teen.

"Will," he nodded to the teacher, "…Is she here?"

"No, your mom picked her up an hour ago… something about a girly day at a spa. I'm not so sure she is going to enjoy that but your mother was insistent and it wouldn't do her any harm to get out of the house whether she wanted to or not," the teacher shrugged his shoulders, "they won't be back until this afternoon so you have all day.

The teacher turned to acknowledge Kurt for the first time, "Hi Kurt."

The boy waved and went back to being confused.

"I told him he wasn't allowed to ask questions," Noah explained with a laugh, "so he is basically just confused as to why we are here… ," he looked over at his teacher and gesture down the hall, "Can we?" Will nodded his head and stepped aside to let them enter, "Okay Hummel, I'm going to show you the room we are fixing up but you have to promise not to freak."

The teacher snorted back a laugh and turned around shaking his head to go back to the kitchen. Kurt was going to lose it. Puck dragged him through the house to a doorway.

"Wait!" Kurt said, "We're decorating Mr Schue's daughters room?"

Puck nodded, "No more questions yet. Now promise you aren't going to go freaking nuts on me here. You are about to learn a piece of information that only a handful of people know."

Kurt was confused but nodded his head and Puck opened the door.

"Well Mr Schue certainly doesn't know how to decorate," was the first thing Kurt said upon seeing the room, "this room doesn't really sing 'teenager'… Wait! She is a teenager right?"

"He knows that… that is why we are here. And yes, she's a teenager! She goes to fucking school with us… use your bloody brain," Puck said sarcastically, "now take a closer look and things will make more sense."

Kurt looked around the room again. There was a book bag lying on the floor that he recognised but he couldn't place where from. There were school books spread out over the bed where their owner had obviously been studying. But the really shocking piece of evidence was the pile of clothes neatly folded in the corner. He looked over them carefully from his spot in the doorway and gasped with a hand to his mouth when he recognised the jacket Rachel had been wearing at school yesterday on the top of the pile.

"Oh My…" he said quietly looking over to Puck for his confirmation.

"Look, I know your shocked and probably confused, but can you hold your questions for a while and help me here… have you got any ideas for the room?"

Kurt shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked back over the room with a critical eye as Mr Schue came into the doorway.

"Okay, first the walls… She definitely cannot pull off that drab grey colour so that needs to go. I suggest going a soft purple colour, not too girly but certainly more her style. There is nothing wrong with the bed itself but new linen wouldn't go astray," he continued, indicating to the books spread out over the bed, "a desk and lamp would probably be a good idea as well, if we are going all out."

Puck nodded, "if we get the paint, can you do the painting while we are getting the rest?" he asked the teacher.

Will nodded and happily handed over a wad of cash to pay for the shopping they were doing for him today. The two teens climbed back into the truck and headed for the paint store.

After a few minutes of silence, Puck finally spoke up, "okay, now you can ask questions."

"Rachel?" Kurt asked quietly. Puck nodded from the drivers seat.

"She is Mr Schue's daughter?" another nod from Puck, "… but I've been to her house, and it wasn't there," he said confused.

"Rachel is Mr Schue's daughter… just not biologically," Puck started to explain.

"What do you mean? Her dad's are gay so they would have had to adopt her anyway?... and I know Mr Schue isn't gay."

"She is his foster daughter," he clarified, his hands gripping the wheel tighter at the mention of her fathers, "Look I warned you that it was a sensitive situation. You know I said that Rachel has some pretty intense stuff going on at home? Well this is part of it… I promised Will… Mr Schue… that I wouldn't give you all the details but to give you the basics, some stuff… some pretty fucking bad shit… was going on at her father's house that resulted in her being put in foster care," he explained, "Mr Schue stepped in to make sure she wouldn't be put in a group home or with some random family and she has been with him ever since."

Puck paused for a minute to allow Kurt the opportunity to catch up.

"She has been… reluctant… to unpack her bags for quite a while now because she is worried Mr Schue is going to kick her out. So Mr Schue is trying to make her see that his house is now her home and I suggested he start with her bedroom… I would tell you more if I could, but Rachel doesn't know we are doing this and she definitely doesn't know that I have told you as much as I have... she is probably going to kill me for telling you all of this."

"It's okay Puck, I understand, Just tell me this," he asked, "the stuff at her dad's? How bad was it?"

"It's been going on for a long time. They messed her up pretty good, I've _never_ seen her like this."

"How did you get involved?" Kurt asked.

"My mom and Will are friends from high school and my mom was a foster kid. When all of this first happened, Rachel wouldn't talk to _anyone_ so Will asked her to come over and talk to Rachel and she brought me with her. And mom knew something wasn't right from what she saw of Rachel at temple."

They arrived at the paint store and Kurt scanned the rows of colours until he found one he deemed 'perfect.' It was a soft purple colour that had a tinge of pink mixed in to give it a bit of warmth. Puck had to admit the colour would suit Rachel perfectly. They brought enough paint to cover the whole room and a few rollers and brushes. They headed back to their teachers house with their shopping in the back.

They helped Will pull the furniture away from the walls and cover the floor then left him to finish the painting himself while they went shopping. Well, Kurt went shopping; Puck followed him around and paid for the items.

"You know, I always wanted to give Rachel and her room a make-over, but I never expected it to be under these circumstances," Kurt admitted, "I didn't notice…"

"I know, she's pretty good about hiding it," Puck sighed, "unfortunately she has had lots of practise."

"Is she really going to kill you for telling me about all of this?"

"I don't know," Puck shrugged, "she hasn't said much about it really. I mean, she tells me the general stuff but she puts a wall up whenever I try to talk to her about something specific. Will says she won't talk to him either so he is starting to get more concerned."

A few hours later they came away with a new set of sheets, bed cover and a throw rug and a floor rug that would match the new paint colour; a couple of lamps and picture frames; a vase and some fake flowers and a few other little items Kurt insisted would make the place seem more 'Rachel'. The most expensive items they brought were the new study desk, bookshelf and dressing table. All Puck could say was thank god for Kurt's need to take over! They rented a trailer to get everything back home.

As they were leaving the store, Puck noticed a pack of vinyl wall stickers with musical notes and couldn't resist buying a couple of sets they could add to the freshly painted walls once they were dry. Kurt laughed at the choice but agreed that they were perfect for Rachel.

After two coats of paint and a short wait (aka, lunch break), the walls were dry to the touch and the small group got started on putting furniture together and decorating the room- stopping only for drink breaks. The stickers were the last thing to go up as they need to wait for the walls to be dry enough. They used them as a decoration above the bed and desk. By four that afternoon they were finished and exhausted. The boys collapsed on the couch while Mr Schue got them a round of cool drinks.

"You can stay to see Rachel's reaction if you want, or I will drop you home now," Puck told Kurt.

"Ill stay," he said not surprisingly.

"Okay, but I'm warning you, she probably won't talk to you much, if at all… and don't touch her unless you want her to freak out or punch you," he warned, "let her touch you. If she starts to freak out, you might just need to wait outside."

Kurt looked surprised at the comment but nodded his head with understanding. The group were watching TV half an hour later when the front door opened.

"I'm back!" Rachel called. Puck and Kurt couldn't see her but they could hear her walk down the hallway toward the kitchen looking for Will. Kurt moved to stand up but Puck stopped him and told him to stay quiet. Will got up to meet her in the kitchen. They were listening quietly to the conversation.

"How was it?" Will asked her.

"Good," Rachel replied quietly, "Rebekah has lots of stories."

Puck had to stop himself from laughing at how true that statement was. His mom could talk for hours.

"Go put your things away, and then I have something to show you," Will said trying to coax her into her room without getting her suspicious.

She wandered down the hall and Will came to stand in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. He gave the boys a thumbs up as he heard her open the door to her room.

As Rachel walked into her room, she froze. The boys heard her gasp loudly from their spots on the couch. She looked around her room immediately noticing the fresh paint smell, new linen and added furniture. Quickly dumping her bag on her freshly decorated bed, Rachel turned on her heel and walked back into the kitchen. Will was smiling over at her. She was speechless and rushed over to give her 'father' a hug.

"Thank you," she murmured into his chest as he rubbed her back. Kurt watched the scene with interest. It was clear that Rachel adored her foster father and he cared for her just as much.

"You're more than welcome… but it's not just me you have to thank," he replied. She pulled back to look at him curiously. Will indicated with his head to the lounge room and Rachel looked over to see Noah and Kurt sitting there looking at her. Kurt took a moment to look at her and had to stop himself from gasping at the sight. Although the bruises were fading, they were still clearly visible while they were not covered with make-up or clothing.

She smiled at them and Puck held his arms out for a hug which she happily accepted. Kurt wasn't sure what to do. Puck had warned him she wouldn't react well to him touching her and figured he probably shouldn't hug her so he just smiled at her brightly.

"What are you waiting for? Go unpack!" Puck said nudging her gently. She smiled at him and started walking towards her room. She stopped at the end of the couch, turned back to Kurt.

She waved her hand at him, silently asking him if he wanted to come help her. Kurt followed her into her room.

She sat down on her freshly made bed and looked around the room properly. Kurt watched her and decided it was probably safe for him to speak.

"You have one nice boy looking out for you," he said with a smile, "this was Puck's idea."

Her eyes widened in surprise and Kurt continued, "I helped with the colour choice and shopping but he picked out a good portion of the gear… including those rather unique wall stickers."

"How much do you know?" Rachel asked quietly after several minutes of silence.

"Just that Mr Schue is your foster dad… Puck said he wouldn't tell me anything else," he replied, "but I think I get it."

"I told myself for years that it was my fault, that I wasn't grateful for all they did for me and…," Rachel admitted looking away ashamed, "they finally kicked me out for asking about my mother. I don't know what I would have done if Mr Schue hadn't shown up when he did."

"Oh Rachel!" Kurt said sitting down next to her. He noticed her pull back slightly but she didn't bolt, "none of this was ever your fault!"

"I know that now," she said quietly.

Together the pair sorted through her few belongings, placing them in the draws, cupboard and bookshelf.

"Well Rachel, while I am pleased to see that not all of your clothing is a completely a fashion disaster," Kurt said playfully, "I would be honoured if you would allow me to take you shopping sometime... we can find a few outfits that would knock those McKinley kids of their feet."

Rachel's answer surprised the boy, "why not, I could use a fresh start… I really only wore those other clothes because of the slushies anyway… plus they are good for covering up my… uh, injuries," she admitted, "not that I get new clothes very often anyway." Kurt tried not to look too shocked at her admission.

When Puck was driving Kurt home later that evening they had a chance to talk.

"She was pretty beaten, wasn't she?" Kurt said.

"The bruises have faded a lot over the past few days… god you should have seen her just after the big blow up happened," Puck replied, "You know you can't tell anyone about what you have seen?"

"I know and I won't. This is a really nice thing your doing for her… she deserves someone like you," Kurt said with a smirk, "Don't screw it up."

"I don't plan on it."

* * *

_**Please review. They motivate me to write after a crappy day at work!**_

_**Elle xox**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN: I'm home sick at the moment... (so be nice =P). Hope this was worth the wait. I had a last minute change of plans with this chapter so it's a little different to what I had originally. I hope it's still good.**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

Rachel started the compulsory therapy sessions the next morning. Will drove her to the office in town and a hesitant Rachel was lead to a room down the hall. The room itself had bright coloured walls, couches and was filled with toys for younger children and a table and chairs. It was no where near as formal as Rachel had expected it to be.

"You must be Rachel!" a young, skinny man in a suit crossed the room and smiled at the teen, "Melanie has told me all about you. I am Doctor Sweets."

Rachel looked the man up and down. She wasn't really sure what she was supposed to do but thankfully Doctor Sweets was used to this kind of thing and indicated to the seats at the table.

"So, I just thought we could have a chat today. Would that be okay?" he asked. Rachel shrugged her shoulders but took the seat he indicated to.

She sat in silence while he rattled on about useless topics for a while. Rachel knew he was waiting for her to do something to show she was ready to talk but given the situation she really didn't want to.

Her session was supposed to go for an hour. They were nearly forty minutes in and Rachel still hadn't said anything. Doctor Sweets worked with kids like Rachel everyday and he knew it was just a matter of being patient and finding a common ground. Rachel picked up a pencil from the tub in the middle of the table and studied it closely.

"Would you like to draw?" the doctor asked. Rachel looked up at him, slightly surprised he would be okay with her drawing. He handed her a sketch book which she hesitantly opened and started scribbling in.

"You're very good," the man smiled at her drawing of the flowers that sat in the centre of the table, "do you draw often?"

Rachel shrugged and continued drawing. Doctor Sweets thought that was all the answer she was going to give before she suddenly spoke up.

"I like to draw," she whispered, "It helps me think."

"We all need things that help us relax," he smiled, "I used to write stories to calm my mind. I wish I had more time for it now."

Rachel kept on sketching, still not looking up at the man, "I draw when I'm not allowed to listen to my music… I had to hide the drawings though. I like to sing but if I can't, I draw."

"Yes, your foster father says you are a very good singer. Do you show Will your drawings? I'm sure he would love to see them," Doctor Sweets commented, referring to who he knew was the girls foster father. He watched as Rachel's hand stopped sketching for just a second and he knew he had got to her. She shook her head.

"Okay… well, I have a bit of homework for you," he told her quietly, "before I see you in a couple of days, I would like for you to show Will one of your drawings. I want you to show him a bit about this side of Rachel."

He stood from the table and Rachel closed the book she was drawing in before handing it to him.

"Keep it," he passed it back, "every time you need to relax or calm yourself down, draw in it." She nodded her head to show she understood and let him lead her back to the lobby, "I'm just going to have a chat with Will for a minute," he told her, "why don't you get yourself a cool drink from the fridge."

Will followed the doctor down to his office.

"She is a very confused girl," the doctor said, "She didn't start talking until a few minutes ago. Her whole life she has been told that everything she is interested in is a waste of time and now, with your support, she is realising she is allowed to like things for herself. I have tried to encourage her to share those interests with you but if she finds that difficult maybe you know of someone else she has made a connection with?"

"Noah… a boy from school," Will instantly replied, "they have been joined at the hip for the last few weeks. His mom is from a similar background and the two just sort of clicked."

"I would be encouraging that friendship as much as possible. She needs people she can talk to," the doctor agreed.

When the pair got home, Rachel sat at the dinning room table with her new sketch pad. She ran her hands over the front of the book. It was nice to know she had somewhere she could draw whatever she felt like. She had been speaking honestly when she said it calmed her mind and helped her think. Her fathers would not let her sing at home whenever they were around but she did practise dancing in her room, whenever she could. Drawing was what she did otherwise.

She thought about Doctor Sweets' homework. She didn't think handing Will a picture was the way to go about it so instead she took out a pencil, turned to a new page and started drawing in front of him.

Will watched while he prepared lunch as she drew random lines across the page. He had initially though she was just drawing a random pattern but he gasped when her realised what it was. He suddenly understood what Emma had been telling him about Rachel's drawings. She seemed to see something in the lines and connected them together to form a picture of him.

"That's very good," he told her as he placed a sandwich down in front of her. Rachel paused, looked up at him and gave a small smile.

"Thank you," she replied honestly.

* * *

In the week after the bedroom refit, Will noticed Rachel really come out of her shell. She had stopped flinching and pulling away when he or other people she was more comfortable with, accidentally got to close (although he could tell she was uncomfortable with the contact). Each morning she would come into school with him, sit behind his desk and do her homework or listen to music before either Puck or Kurt would come and get her. He had come into his office during breaks a few times to find drawings on his desk from her. A childish gesture perhaps from any ordinary teenage girl, but Rachel had a lot of years of her childhood to make up for and he knew this was her way of thanking him. Will discretely hung them on the fridge at home without making a fuss about it.

Rachel went to Ms Pillsbury's office a couple of times a week and they were slowly working through any issues that came up. After school each day she would either wait around for Will to finish work or Noah would drive her home and wait with her until the teacher returned home for the day. She was going to the required counselling sessions each week and after the rocky start, her counsellor was pleased with her progress.

During glee, she would sing when required but most of her solos had been handed out amongst the girls. The other Glee club members had of course noticed that she hadn't said more than a few words over the past few weeks but Kurt and Noah just reminded them that she had things going on at home that needed to be sorted out before she could concentrate on Glee again.

Rachel had been with him for almost five weeks and he decided she could probably handle meeting his parents now. After all they were going to be her grandparents. He had spoken to his parents a few days after Rachel had moved in and they were aware of the situation.

_***FLASHBACK***_

_Will looked over at Rachel sitting on the couch reading a book and picked up the phone and dialled his parents number._

"_Hi Mom!" he greeted her._

"_Will! We haven't heard from you in a while," his mother commented. Will always tried to keep regular contact with his parents._

"_Yeah, I know… I'm sorry. I have had a few things I needed to deal with," he replied._

"_Is everything alright?"_

"_Yes I'm fine… Look is dad there? Can you put me on speaker phone?" he asked trying to decide the best way to break the news to his parents, "Okay so this is going to be a bit of a shock but uh… You have a new granddaughter." _

_Rachel looked up at him from her spot on the couch upon hearing him refer to her as his parent's new grand daughter. His parents were silent for a minute before his mom spoke up._

"_I don't understand Will."_

_He explained the situation carefully, not giving them all the details but giving them the basics. _

"_Well then," his mother's voice brightened, "what is our granddaughters name and when do we get to meet her?"_

_Will smiled. He knew his parents would be understanding._

"_Rachel," he replied, "and you can meet her soon… I'm not sure she is ready for that just yet."_

_*** END OF FLASHBACK***_

While Rachel was in the shower Friday evening, he rang his parents.

"Hi Mom… how would you like to meet Rachel Sunday night?" he asked. When they happily agreed, he gave them some idea what to expect.

"She is much better when people touch her now than she was when she first got here, but don't push it and don't get angry or disappointed if she doesn't talk to you straight away, it takes her a while to warm up to people... she hasn't really had family before- I don't want her to feel too overwhelmed."

After hanging up with his mom, he knocked on Rachel's door. When she told him to come in, he found her brushing her wet hair.

"My parents are coming over for dinner Sunday night," he told her, "they want to meet you."

"Oh, okay," she replied hesitantly.

"They are going to love you," he told her reassuringly.

* * *

It had taken Will a few weeks to work out some of Rachel's little habits. Like how she asked for permission before she did anything. It was a habit Will found slightly disturbing, knowing that Rachel had to ask before she did anything when she was at her fathers house. Every time she asked if she could go to the bathroom or go to her room, he reminded her she didn't need to ask and slowly, Rachel was coming to that understanding.

She also had unusual habits in her routine, like how she did her laundry. Every Saturday morning, she would put her washing on and sit on the couch in her pyjamas while she waited for it to finish and dry. This Saturday he heard her sigh from the laundry room and moved to the doorway.

"Is everything okay," he asked concerned.

"Yeah… This top is just old," she explained, "it ripped." She tossed the worn fabric straight into the trash. It was then that the reason for Rachel's strange washing habit dawned on Will. She didn't have other clothes to wear. It was just a ripped top to him but for Rachel it was one less item of clothing she had to choose from in her limited wardrobe. He had seen what she had brought with her from her fathers house and while there were quite a few pieces of clothing, most of them looked far too small or not in great condition.

"Okay, that's it," he declared, "put some clothes on we're going shopping."

Rachel gave him a strange look, "why?"

"Because you need new clothes," he said, pushing her out of the laundry room and towards her bedroom. While she changed he rang Emma and told her that he needed help and they would pick her up on the way to the mall.

The trio strolled into the mall and Emma took charge. She led the unique family from store to store, insisting that Rachel try on a number of clothing items. By lunch time the cart was full with several new pairs of jeans, a wide selection of summer and winter tops, a few shorts and skirts, a couple of summer dresses, a new swim suit, pyjamas, tights, jackets, jumpers and a coat. As well as these, Emma helped Rachel choose a few new pairs of shoes. Each time Will willingly handed over his credit card and each time Rachel tried to stop him, saying it was too much.

"Okay, one more store… uh Will, you might like to go get a coffee or something," Emma told the father pointedly. Will narrowed his eyes but agreed when he realised why Emma was trying to get rid of him. The guidance councillor led Rachel to an underwear store and helped the girl pick out several new sets of the essential garments.

"This is too much," Rachel told him for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning as they walked back into the house, "You didn't need to buy me all of those new clothes. They are too good for me. I would have got by… I always do."

"Tell me Rachel, when was the last time you got new clothes?… and I don't mean clothes you brought from a secondhand store," he asked her. Rachel was silent and just stared at him. She had _never_ had new clothes brought for her, at least not for as long as she could remember.

"That's what I thought. You needed them and I wanted to by them for you. Things are going to be different now Rachel," he kissed her forehead and pushed her towards her room.

"Thank you," Rachel said sincerely. It might have seemed like a small gesture to him, but it absolutely meant the world to her to know that someone had her back.

* * *

_**Hope you liked it! Let me know!**_

_**On another note, a few chapters ago, I asked you what you thought about me posting another story with a similar (yet different) storyline to this. Everyone said they wanted me to post it, so I will… I have held off because I'm not yet happy with the ending. So watch this space!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: Whoop! An update! Chapter 8! I'm really getting into this story. I'm on a role with it at the moment! I hope you like it too! Let me know =)**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

Rachel was nervous all Sunday. Will had suggested she call Kurt over to keep her company. Apart from Noah, Rachel had never had friends over to her house before and wasn't really sure what they should do. Kurt, thankfully took charge and he had decided they needed to go shopping to find her the perfect outfit to wear for dinner. Rachel showed him the new clothes she had in her wardrobe and then let herself be led to the mall for the second time that weekend, this time so she could get a mini make over. Will was grateful to the boy for distracting her. He handed over some money and was pleased when she returned that afternoon with a smile on her face and a new haircut.

"I like the new hair do. Did you have fun with Kurt?" he asked her.

"Thank you and yes, he is quite an accomplished shopper," she laughed, "he knew all the places to go and was quite good company."

"I'm glad you're making friends Rachel, you have really started to grow," he told her proudly. Rachel blushed. She had not had real friends before. The way her fathers treated her had meant she remained secluded in her own world. She was so incredibly focused on getting out of Lima that she was abrasive and high maintenance… but now that she didn't have to act like that anymore, she found she actually enjoyed Kurt and Noah's company.

When the doorbell rang at 6.30 that evening, Rachel came out from her room ready. She was wearing a new pair of jeans that Kurt had insisted looked fabulous on her and a fitted aqua blue top. As he walked to open the door, Will couldn't help but notice how the tighter than normal clothing highlighted just how small she was. She stood shyly behind him while he opened the door.

"Mom! Dad! Hi," he greeted them, giving his mom a kiss and shaking his dad's hand, "come in."

"I would like you to meet your granddaughter, Rachel," he said giving Rachel a soft nudge. She was extremely nervous. Will's parent's looked nice enough but she had learnt long ago not to trust people just based on the way they looked. She rarely gave anyone her trust.

"Hi Rachel! I'm your Grandma Julie," the kind older woman smiled over at the girl who had taken a small step backwards.

"… and I'm your Grandpa Joe… we are very pleased to be finally meeting you," Joe said. Both his parents had given up hope of having grandchildren after Terri faked being pregnant last year and were overjoyed with the prospect of having a granddaughter in Rachel- Biologically or not.

Rachel gave them both a small smile but didn't move from her spot half hiding behind Will.

During dinner Julie and Joe talked friendlily and gave Rachel opportunities to speak which she avoided. It wasn't until they had been sitting down for a while that Rachel finally spoke to them.

"I've never had grandparents before," she quietly admitted, out of the blue. Julie tried not to look shocked at the sound of Rachel's voice and smiled brightly at her.

"Well then we have lots of spoiling to make up for!" she replied and Rachel smiled brightly at her.

Before long, Rachel was chatting with her new family about school and her friends.

"Rachel's friends Noah and Kurt redesigned her room as a surprise for her a few weeks ago," Will told his parents.

"Well then," Julie said holding her hand out to Rachel, "Show me to your room!"

"Kurt says that Noah helped pick all of the things out but it sounds more like something Kurt would do than Noah," Rachel explained as her new grandmother looked around her room, "although I do believe that Noah picked out the music stickers."

"They must be really nice friends if they did all of this for you," Julie said.

"I've never really had friends before… it was just easier to do things on my own," Rachel admitted. Julie sat down on the bed next to her and put her hand on the girls shoulder. She noticed Rachel flinch and was about to pull her arm away when she felt Rachel relax.

"You're a lovely girl and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend," she whispered to the girl.

"Mom! Rachel! Dessert is ready!" Will called from down the hall.

As they were clearing the plates the house phone started to ring and Will answered it.

"Rachel, it's for you… it's Puck," he handed the phone over to her.

"Hi!" she smiled and carried the phone into the living room so as not to be rude. The adults watched her leave with a smile.

"She is gorgeous!" his mother beamed already smitten by her new grand-daughter, "how could anyone have hit that poor girl?"

"She's strong, that's for sure," Will agreed.

Rachel stuck her head back into the room, "Can Noah please come over?" she asked, "He wants to show me something for Glee."

"Okay, but he needs to be gone by 11," Will warned her. Rachel smiled her thanks and went back to her phone call.

"Who is this Noah we keep hearing about, I thought she was on the phone to a 'Puck'… should we be worried?" Joe asked concern and confusion evident on his face.

"Puck… Noah Puckerman is Rachel's best friend," Will explained, "he may look and act a little gruff but he has a kind heart. He's the one who finally got her talking… you would have met him at the Acafella's shows."

Before long the doorbell rang and Rachel rushed to get it. She led Noah into the dining room with his guitar hooked over his shoulder.

"Hi Mr Schue," he said politely and smiling at the others seated around him. He recognised them from their shows as Mr Schue's parents but had not met them before.

"Hi Puck. How many times do I have to remind you to call me Will outside of school?" the teacher joked.

"These are my grandparents," Rachel said proudly and introduced him to Julie and Joe. Noah shook both of their hands and shifted uncomfortably. He was never comfortable around families.

"Should we practise in the living room or your room," he asked Rachel.

"The living room is fine… right?" she looked at Will for confirmation.

"That's okay, but if you move any furniture it has to go back," he warned as the pair quickly ran off.

"He is good for her," Will murmured to his parents, "they used to be enemies… Puck used to throw slushies at her everyday… but that first day he saw her after she came here, something changed. They are both like completely new people."

Suddenly they heard Puck's singing coming from the living room. But what surprised Will the most was the fact Rachel was joining in with him after a while. He had not heard her sing like this in weeks.

"Finally!" He yelled quietly, jumping up to get a look, "She hasn't sung a solo since she came here." They crept quietly to the doorway to watch the scene before them.

* * *

Rachel pulled Noah into the living room and they sat down on the couch.

"What are you going to sing," Rachel asked excitedly.

"Uh, its actually what _WE_ are going to sing," he told her. Pulling his guitar out of its case and adjusting it as necessary.

"No… you know I can't do that yet," she argued with him.

"… and you never will unless you try!" he encouraged her gently, "just give it a go, if you can't do it, then I won't push you again but I really think you can."

She stared at him. She couldn't believe this was the same boy who used to throw slushies at her on a daily basis. Now he was her best friend, encouraging her to have a go at something she hadn't done properly since she had been kicked out of her house. She slowly nodded at him and he handed over the sheet music he had selected.

"I know this is usually Tina's solo but I thought this song would be best… I know you know it," he told her and started to play softly and sing along.

_You with the sad eyes,_

_Don't be discouraged, oh I realise,_

_It's hard to take courage,_

_In a world, full of people, _

_You can loose sight of it all_

_And darkness still inside you can make you feel so small._

_But I see your true colours shining through_

_I see your true colours, and that's why I love you_

_So don't be afraid to let them show your_

_True colours, true colours_

_Are beautiful like a rainbow._

Noah looked over at her pointedly and Rachel took over for the next verse, with a sad smile.

**Show me a smile then,**

**Don't be unhappy, can't remember when I last saw you laughin**

**If this world makes you crazy**

**And you've taken all you can bare,**

**You call me up**

**Because you know I'll be there.**

Their voices came together for the chorus. Noah watched her carefully as she sung with her eyes closed letting herself get carried away with the song.

_**But I see your true colours shining through**_

_**I see your true colours, and that's why I love you**_

_**So don't be afraid to let them show your**_

_**True colours, true colours**_

_**Are beautiful like a rainbow.**_

**If this world makes you crazy**

**And you've taken all you can bare,**

**You call me up**

**Because you know I'll be there.**

_**But I see your true colours shining through**_

_**I see your true colours, and that's why I love you**_

_**So don't be afraid to let them show your**_

_**True colours, true colours**_

_**I see your true colours shining through**_

_**I see your true colours, and that's why I love you**_

_**So don't be afraid to let them show your**_

_**True colours, true colours**_

Out of the corner of his eye, Noah noticed Will and his parents standing in the doorway to the living room watching them. Will was beaming happily as he watched Rachel sing properly for the first time in a month.

**True colours**

**Are beautiful like a rainbow.**

Rachel sang the last line slowly and as Noah played the last chord, their audience burst into a round of applause. Rachel opened her eyes wide and stared at her friend who was smiling brightly at her.

"I knew you could do it!" he said to her, holding his arms out for a hug.

She leaped into his arms, "thank you!"

He kissed her forehead gently and pointed over at their audience. Rachel looked over to see Will beaming with pride. She was truly happy for the first time in weeks. Rachel had forgotten how good and safe singing and music really made her feel.

"That was beautiful sweetie," her grandmother smiled. Her husband nodded his head in agreement.

"You have an amazing voice dear."

From Noah's arms Rachel smiled contently. Puck looked down and observed her, she was incredibly happy and proud of herself and he couldn't help but feel special that he was the one who reminded her of her true self.

_God!_ He thought; _I'm falling for Rachel!_ The realisation hit him hard. He had really liked her back when they were dating but she had broken his heart when she broke up with him. But everything that had happened in the last few weeks certainly explained everything that happened while they were dating. Like, why Rachel had been adamant that he leave the house before her fathers got home- he had assumed she would be the kind who would insist he met them immediately. She had been worried about him finding out what they were doing to her. Now wasn't exactly the perfect time to realise he still had feelings for her. Rachel had been through a lot the past few weeks and he had to be absolutely sure she was ready before he said anything.

But he had to tell her eventually.

* * *

_**Ooooh! Revelations! What did you think?**_

_**Up next- Something happens at school and Rachel has a moment… will the glee kids find out her biggest secret?**_

_**Review = Smiles from me =)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN: Here it is... the BIG chapter... a lot happens in this one and I am really happy with the way it's turned out. It kind of flows into the next chapters so I'll try not to keep you waiting too long. Let me know what you think... I am so excited to hear your thoughts so please review!**_

_**Just an FYI for those of you who don't have an Author Alert on me... I added a new story today called You Belong Here Now... it's a Pezberry friendship story which I might include a Puckleberry storyline into later on. Check it out =)**_

_**Ellé xx**_

* * *

It became common knowledge at McKinley that Rachel Berry, was now under Noah Puckerman's protection and as such, she had not been slushied in over a month. The entire Glee club was looking out for her. They all knew something was seriously up. It had been over a month. Rachel had barely said a word to them and she had willingly handed over all her solo's but whenever anyone asked she shrugged and walked off.

So when Ashton Parkhouse, a freshman hockey player, stalked towards Rachel and Kurt as they entered the cafeteria on Wednesday, nobody saw it coming. Before she knew it, Rachel was covered from head to toe in cherry flavoured ice.

The Glee members all rushed to her straight away as the cafeteria grew silent. They were all curious as to how Puck was going to handle the situation. Ashton was roughly shoved against the wall.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" he yelled at the boy, "Rachel Berry is off limits!" He turned to the rest of the students watching them, "that goes for everyone… if anyone lays a hand on her ever again, you will have me to answer too."

Puck roughly pushed the horrified teen to the ground and faced Rachel. She let out a sob, turned and bolted with the Glee club hot on her heels. Santana rushed to her locker and collected her spare clothes, she usually wore her uniform home from school anyway and she was pretty sure they were roughly the same size.

Rachel ran into the girls bathroom and sat down in a corner and cried. The girls, Kurt and Puck were about to follow her in when Quinn, who was leading the group stopped them.

"I don't think you should come in Puck, we need to get her cleaned up," she said stubbornly.

"I'm coming in," he demanded, "I need to be there."

"I think he should be there," Kurt told them. He was concerned about how Rachel was going to react and knew that _only_ Puck would be able to calm her down if something did happen.

"We can handle it Puck," Santana said. Kurt was about to butt in to defend Puck again when Puck lost it.

"You don't fucking understand!" he yelled, "She is going to freak out if you go anywhere near her… I need to be in there!"

The group all went silent and turned to Puck. Quinn carefully searched Pucks face for answers and saw the desperation.

"Fine," she said, "you can come in, but you stand in the corner unless we need you."

Noah rolled his eyes, knowing that this was not going to have a happy ending, "… this is not going to end well," he warned them.

When they walked into the bathroom, Rachel was curled up in a ball under the sinks sobbing into her arms. Apart from Puck, none of them had ever seen her like this before. It took all his power to stand in the corner and let Quinn try and help Rachel- even though he knew it wasn't going to work.

"Rachel hun?" she said softly to the girl curled up on the floor, "lets get you out of these sticky clothes before they get any grosser." Quinn lifted her hand to the hem of Rachel's now Red top. Her fingers barely scraped the girls skin when Rachel let out a loud scream, jerked herself away and cowered into a corner. She was back into full defensive mode and looked terrified.

The groups eyes went wide and they all turned to look back at Puck who was standing ready and rushed forward to comfort Rachel.

"He told you this was going to happen," Kurt said angrily, "but you wouldn't listen!" Noah didn't say anything. He just sat down on the floor in front of her and waited. Within a couple of minutes she crawled into his lap and sobbed into his shirt. Nobody was really sure what was going on but they were in too much shock to really care.

When the crying died down, he spoke softly too her, "Rach, we gotta take your wet clothes off, okay?"

She nodded into his chest. The girls gasped as Rachel's shirt was lifted over her head and the bruises, which had now faded to a purple/pink colour, were clearly visible against her pale skin as well a number of older scars. Kurt ran a few towels under warm water and handed them to Puck. Working together, they got Rachel cleaned up and into Santana's clothes. Not only were the girls shocked to see the bruises that covered Rachel's body but they were also shocked that Puck was not staring at her half naked top half and was just helping her. Rachel crawled back into his lap and cried again. All the girls now knew her secret.

Kurt looked over at Puck and the sobbing girl in his arms, "Maybe we should go get her dad," he suggested, "She isn't going to be able to go to class like this and he should probably take her to see her therapist again or at least take her home."

"No, he is going to go nuts and he still has to work for the rest of the day, plus, she has therapy tomorrow anyway… I'll just take her to Ms Pillsbury's office again for the afternoon," Noah whispered. The girls were letting him handle the situation so he picked Rachel up carried her silently to the guidance councillors office. The boys waiting outside the bathroom were confused. They had heard Rachel scream and now a crying Rachel was being carried out of the room by Puck. The girls brushed it aside saying they would tell them later.

Emma jumped up in surprise when the entire Glee club walked into her office with Noah carrying a crying Rachel in his arms.

"What happened?" she said clearing a spot on the couch in the corner for him to put the girl.

"She got slushied," he explained, "the girls tried to help her but you know what she has been like with other people… it just made it worse."

"Oh dear," she gasped, "have you told her dad?"

Noah shook his head.

"Alright… Well Puck, you can stay, but the rest of you need to get back to class."

* * *

When Will walked into Glee that afternoon, the group were all whispering amongst themselves. The boys had been informed in great detail about what happened in the bathroom and they all had their own theories about what had transpired. Kurt had been interrogated but refused to give away anything. Will looked around the room and noticed that his daughter and her friend were missing.

"Where are Puck and Rachel?" he asked the remaining group.

"Rachel got slushied at lunch," Santana explained, "and she had a major freak out when we tried to help her. It was crazy! I know she's been acting weird lately but we've never seen her like that."

"Puck managed to calm her down enough to take her to Ms Pillsbury's office," Quinn added, "but they haven't come back yet."

"What!" he yelled and turned to Kurt, "Why didn't you come and get me? Kurt, you know what she's been like with others!"

"I suggested that but…" Kurt uttered.

The observant people in the group gasped as they put the two pieces of information together. Kurt had wanted to get Rachel's dad.

"… I asked him not too Will," came Noah's voice from the doorway. Rachel was standing quietly next to him dressed in Santana's clothes. At the sight of her 'father', Rachel rushed into his arms- she had been doing that a lot lately.

"Oh sweetheart," he rubbed her back soothingly, "Okay guys, I'm cancelling practise today, I need to take Rachel home," he told his students. He turned to Kurt and Noah, "Do you guys mind explaining this to everyone else?" he asked, "just the usual."

They nodded and watched as their teacher led Rachel out of the room with his arm around her shoulders. Kurt and Puck felt everyone's eyes fall on them.

"I'm confused," Finn said, "Why is Mr Schue taking Rachel home?"

Puck sighed, "Because Rachel lives with him and clearly she is still upset."

"_Rachel_ is his daughter?" Quinn asked for confirmation. The boys, who weren't in the bathroom to hear the original conversation, eyes went wide.

He nodded, "Foster daughter, yes," Puck explained, "you guys had to go and make her so freakin' uncomfortable and ask me who Mr. Schues daughter was right in front of her. I told you to leave it and you kept going on about it… she freaked and was panicking about what would happen when you did find out."

"and the bruises and shit she is covered with…?" Santana questioned.

"They are the reason she was put in foster care," he told them bluntly, hoping that he wouldn't have to spell it out. Luckily they all seemed to understand. Her fathers had been abusive and it had been going on for a long time. Even Brittany seemed to get that.

"It's taken a long time to get her to the point of even talking to others again, let alone trusting people around her… but today was a huge step backwards…" He muttered angrily, "I know you have all noticed that Rachel hasn't been herself. The stuff at her father's house has been going on for years and she's only just got out. She has had a lot of practise hiding it from everyone. Her little 'freak out' today was just everything coming together… As you have seen, she has only been speaking when she has too and is a little testy with people touching her."

"How are you so good with her? And how did Kurt know?" Mike asked the questions the whole group were thinking, "Doesn't she know we're not going to hurt her?"

"My mom is friends with Mr Schue from high school and she was a foster kid as well. Mr Schue knew that and asked mom to come over to talk to Rachel when this all first happened. He couldn't get her to eat or talk about anything. I've known since then," Puck told the group quietly, "that's why I told you she had some crap going on at home. You know that week a while back when Mr Schue only came to school for Glee club? That's when all of this happened. That's why Mr Schue cut Glee short- so he could take her back home… for some reason she feels comfortable around me."

"and as for me," Kurt started, "Puck and Mr Schue needed my help with Rachel and I put two and two together. I've only known for a few weeks and she still flinches when I touch her."

"Believe me, she is getting better. She used to be just as terrified of me as she was of you today. She nearly punched me the first time I touched her." Noah explained, "but I got her to sing the other day. I'll admit, it took a lot of convincing but it's a start… This whole 'insane diva' routine she pulls at school, is just something she does to cover up what is going on at home. She is not really like that once you get to know her. And… it's not that she thinks you are going to hurt her, more that she has very little trust in people. She doesn't know who to trust."

"… and instead of listening to her and supporting her so that she had a reason to trust us, we treated her like shit," Mercedes hung her head guiltily.

The entire group were in shock at hearing the truth. Most of them looked guilty for the way they had been treating Rachel now and in the past. The girl didn't deserve any of the crap they handed to her- she needed friends and they had all so willingly dismissed her because she didn't know how to make them.

As soon as he got home, Noah told his mom about what had happened at school. She had straight away called the Schuester house to check on the girl.

"Will says she finally fell asleep," Rebekah said, hanging up the phone and going to sit with her son, "you are very good with her Noah, she trusts you."

He smiled softly at his mom's comment and sighed. He hated seeing Rachel so broken.

"You like her don't you?" his mom asked quietly, "I mean as more than a friend." He couldn't form his answer in words so he just nodded and hung his head.

"I don't want to push her though," he eventually told his mom, "she has enough on her mind."

"That's a very nice thought and I'm sure she appreciates it, but she does have to go back to her normal life eventually… she just needs that little push."

Hearing his mom say that, Noah made his mind up on the spot. As soon as things had started to calm down again he was going to take her out and tell her how he felt.

* * *

When Will and Rachel arrived home, she had gone straight to her room and fell asleep on her bed. She slept for a few hours and woke feeling refreshed and a lot calmer. She found Will in the kitchen and climbed up on the bar stool to watch him cook.

"I was about… seven," she said quietly. He turned to look at her, not sure what she was talking about but she continued, "When I first realised it wasn't normal… They had hit me before but I thought they had all been justified, just a parent hitting a naughty child… but this one time, when I was seven, he hit me and afterwards, I couldn't work out what I had done wrong, so I just… kept my mouth shut. Things just went from there. They always seemed to have a reason for hitting me. My room wasn't tidy, my music was too loud, I was late coming home. It didn't matter what I did, nothing was ever good enough. So I just threw myself into my music, it was my comfort."

Will stood shocked staring at her. This was the first time she had openly admitted to him what had been going on under her fathers' roof. Over eight years this had been going on with nobody noticing anything. He took her hand from across the bench and gently rubbed it.

"I don't mean to get scared when others touch me. Like today, I knew they weren't going to hurt me but I couldn't help it. As soon as I felt Quinn's fingers… I was already worked up and I just couldn't stop myself… then Noah came along and everything calmed down again... it's a very strange feeling to be comforted by the boy who used to torment you the most"

"Nobody blames you for that Rachel," he replied softly.

"I know, but nobody really understands either," she explained, "I was just starting to feel safe again at school- Like I feel here with you or with Noah. And then that barbaric imbecile threw a slushie at me and I got angry with myself for allowing it to happen… so I have decided, I need to force myself back into things slowly. I want to go back to dancing and I want to try my solo's again in glee. I need people to treat me like a normal teenager again, and not walk on egg shells around me."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked her.

"No, but I need to try…" she told him, "as long as people don't touch me when I don't expect it, I should be fine."

Will wasn't so sure, but he agreed to take her back to her dance classes after school the next day.

* * *

_**What did you think?**_

_**Up next, Rachel goes back to school...**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for… and I think you're going to be happy! I don't want to give it away, but I had fun writing this chapter, well the second part of it at least! Sorry for the wait, if you read my other story Our Little Arrangement, you probably know I have some family stuff going on at the moment so its hard to find time to right and when I do have the time, I seem to hit a spout of writers block, so please PLEASE review with your ideas because even though I have at least another 20 chapters of this story written already, I need inspiration.**_

_**Elle xx**_

* * *

When Puck walked into school the next morning the remaining 10 glee club members, excluding Rachel, were standing around his locker waiting for him.

"Have you heard from Rachel?" Tina asked.

"Is she okay?"

"Is she coming to school today?"

He put his books away and turned to face the group, "My mom spoke to Will last night, he said she was sleeping but was okay. I am about to see if she is here for the day."

"I'm coming with you," Quinn demanded. Puck gave her a hesitant look but Quinn was adamant. They walked side by side through the halls to Mr Schue's office.

"She waits for me here everyday," he explained to Quinn before pushing open the door.

Will smiled when he saw Noah and looked down to Rachel who was laying on her stomach doing her homework on the floor behind his desk.

"Rach, your friends are here," he told her.

Rachel collected her books and stood. She hesitated slightly when she saw Quinn was with Noah but remembered her goal for the day was to not shut people out and to try and get back into her routine.

The three unlikely friends walked through the halls of the school back to the Glee club. Nobody seemed really sure what to say to the girl so Rachel put them out of their misery.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday… I can't help it," she told the group quietly.

Noah was about to remind her she had nothing to apologise for but Santana beat him too it.

"Fuck Rachel! You have nothing to be sorry for. We should be apologising to you after the way we have treated you for all these years. You didn't need or deserve that. I am truly sorry for everything I have done to hurt you… can we make a fresh start?"

Rachel smiled, "I'd like that," she took a bag with Santana's clothes in it, out of her book bag and handed it to the cheerleader, "thank you for lending me your clothes. Will washed them last night."

The bell rang for class and the two cheerio's and their ex-captain, linked arms. Santana looked over at Rachel unsure what to do. She had been going to grab Rachel's arm but remembered that that could cause a stir. The four had English together first period and the Latina wanted to reach out to the girl to show she was serious.

"Uh, can I touch your arm?" Santana asked. Rachel looked up at Noah who nodded his encouragement and then hesitantly linked her arm through the one Santana was offering. They walked arm in arm to class.

Things had not been as easy as Rachel expected. She was still quiet and only answered the questions that were directed at her. Santana watched her flinch when someone accidentally brushed her shoulder. But the others understood and she was making progress. They watched as she happily participated in glee but still didn't take over her solos again.

Noah dragged her to a park after school, sat her down in a swing and stood behind her to push it.

"You seemed much better today," he told her, "I'm proud of you for letting everyone else in."

She slowed the swing and turned to look at him, "as horrible as yesterday was, it was a real eye-opener for me. I've realised that I need to get on with my life and start being a teenager again. Will is taking me back to dance class this afternoon."

Noah looked pleased and moved to crouch down in front of her so she was looking down at him.

"Well then, I know something you can do," he told her, gathering up the nerve, "let me take you out this weekend. We can go to dinner and the movies or something."

Rachel's eyes widened. She had not expected him to ask her that. But she smiled at him and nodded, "I'll ask Will tonight, but I would like that Noah."

"Ill ask him," Noah replied, "… seems like something I should ask permission for."

The pair played on the playground for a while longer. Rachel told him the same story she had told Will the night before. She watched as Noah's hands clenched when she mentioned what her fathers had done; like he was going to take care of it for her. Rachel smiled at the gesture and thought about how lucky she really was.

He drove her home and while she was getting ready for her dance class, he came in to speak to Will.

"I uh, I asked her out on Saturday," he told his teacher.

Will looked up from his marking and stared at the boy but Noah continued, "I know it might seem a little early and all but she said she wanted to act like a normal teenager again and I like her so it seemed like the logical thing to do. She said yes, but I wanted to ask your permission, since you're her dad and stuff."

Will smirked at how uncomfortable the teen was and took pity on him, "it's fine Puck, just have her home by midnight and make sure you take care of her."

Rachel came back into the room ready for dancing and unaware of the conversation that had just taken place. Noah said goodbye and Rachel and Will climbed into the car to go to her dance school.

"So Puck asked you out huh?" He smiled at her as he drove.

Rachel blushed, "Yes, is that alright?"

"Its fine, he is good for you. Just be careful okay," he told her as they pulled into the parking lot. Will came inside and explained the situation to her dance and gymnastics teachers. They had been shocked but accepting of the new father and promised to take care of her and call him if there was a problem.

Rachel returned from dancing happily chatting about class. Will was glad he had allowed her to come back and start getting back into her routines. It was a step in the right direction.

* * *

Noah's mom had fussed over him when she found out he had finally asked Rachel out. On the Saturday of the date, she pulled every shirt he owned out of his closet to find the 'perfect outfit.'

"Mom! It's not like she doesn't know me… she already knows how I dress and doesn't seem to mind… and we are just going to a movie and dinner," he whinged to his mother.

"But this is different Noah!" she said exasperated, "girls always like it when boys go that extra mile to show they care and Rachel is no exception." She held what had to have been the millionth shirt up to him, "Perfect, now go shower and get changed."

Noah rolled his eyes but gave in to her command. By six o'clock he was nervously waiting on the Schuester/Berry doorstep after ringing the bell.

Will answered the door and invited him in, "so what's the plan for this evening?" he asked the boy casually.

"Uh, dinner first, then maybe a movie… we'll see how she goes… don't worry I'll have her home before midnight," he promised. Will smiled at the boys nerves.

"I know you will Puck, it's okay," he laughed lightly at the boy.

"You're handling this very well. Don't you feel the urge to murder me or something?" Puck glared at the man.

"Not murder… threaten maybe, but definitely not murder," Will explained with a laugh, "You're good for her and she is happy and feels safe when she is with you. What more can I ask?"

Noah relaxed significantly upon hearing this. He had not really _dated_ many girls and he had certainly not hung around long enough to meet their parents. He heard Rachel's door open and she entered the living room.

"Hi Noah," she smiled shyly at him.

"Wow Rach, you look amazing," he told her. She was dressed in jeans and a loose floral printed shirt. Her hair had been straightened and she was wearing a little make up. It was clear Kurt had had some influence on her clothing but she looked stunning.

"Thank you Noah!" she beamed at him, "are you ready to go?"

He drove them to breadsticks where he had made reservations for the evening and, like a true gentleman, he held doors open for her. Their conversation started awkwardly, neither really knew what to say to the other. But when the topic changed to glee, they found a common ground and the chat became easy.

"When I was listening to the Radio in the car the other day, I heard this song by Nickleback that would be perfect for Glee," he told her, "I'm going to give my idea to Mr Schue on Monday."

"That sounds fantastic Noah," she beamed, "I often get my ideas for Glee by listening to the radio or the music channel."

The pair chatted comfortably over dinner and Noah was pleased that Rachel had a smile on her face the whole way through. He looked at his watch and stood to pay the bill. When they were waiting in line at the cinema to buy tickets, Noah's fingers brushed over Rachel's and when she didn't pull away, he hesitantly entwined his hand with hers. Neither looked each other in they eye but Rachel smiled brightly at the gesture of affection. This was the real Noah, not the 'Puck' person he pretended to be at school. He insisted that she choose the movie she wanted to watch regardless of whether she thought he would like it or not.

When Rachel tried to pay for their popcorn and sodas, he stopped her, "It's the guys job to pay for everything on the first date Rach," he told her. Rachel blushed, but nodded her head and let him pay.

Halfway through the movie, Noah reached his arm around her and rested it across her shoulders. He could feel her tense momentarily before she relaxed into his arms and lent her head on his shoulder. Rachel smiled slightly as she continued to watch the movie.

After the movie, he drove them to a park near her house so they could talk and finish off the popcorn. They were sitting on a bench with the bucket of popcorn between them when Noah spoke up.

"How are you really handling all of this Rachel?" he asked her seriously, "I know you are saying you need to move on but I know you're still upset."

Rachel looked him right in the eye and saw the honesty in his eyes, "You're right, I am still upset… I mean, did you know my fathers haven't tried to contact me once since I got kicked out? They wouldn't even know what was going on if it wasn't for my social worker being required to keep them updated. While they may have been my fathers, they were never my Dad's… Will has taken on that role," she explained to him, "It obviously hurts to know they don't care about me and it's easy to hate them for all they have done but I have to move on at some point. It hurts much less to just forget they exist."

She turned her body to face him straight on. It surprised her how easily she could talk to Noah about all of this considering she still isolated herself at school.

"I have a new family now Noah," she told him, "Will is amazing and his parents have been so welcoming. Then I have you, your mom and your sister and for the first time ever… I have friends who are supportive of me and protect me without a second thought… I've never had any of that before."

Noah nodded trying to understand what she was saying but fully aware he would never completely grasp it.

"Do you call Will Dad?" he asked her curiously.

"Uhh, No… I have stopped myself from doing it on occasion," she explained, "I don't want to make him uncomfortable… my father's made me call them sir so it's… strange, for me to want to call someone dad."

He frowned at the mention of her fathers' ridiculous ways, "I don't think he would mind," Noah told her, "I have heard him refer to you as his daughter more than once anyway."

Once the popcorn had been finished, Noah grabbed her hand and helped her into his truck. They rode in a comfortable silence back to Rachel's new house. He pulled on the break as they stopped outside the house and turned to look at her with a smile.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight," he told her.

"Thank you for asking Noah. I had a really _really_ good time," she smiled back.

Noah lent over the middle of the car and kissed her forehead gently then pulled back. He wasn't sure whether he should push her for a proper kiss so he hesitated but she made the decision for him. She raised her hand to his cheek and pulled his lips to hers. Her actions surprised him, given her history, but after a quick minute he returned the pressure. His hand moved to cup her face and he gently stroked her cheek. He was the first to break the kiss, pulling back but resting his forehead against hers.

"You kissed me," he said bluntly.

"I did. You kissed back," she returned.

"I did… I really like you, Rachel," he admitted quietly. His admission made her blush but she smiled brightly at him.

"I really like you too, Noah."

They both smiled at each other. Noah kissed her nose gently.

"I should go inside," she said simply.

"Are you free tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes. What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. Do you think Will would mind me coming over in the afternoon? I have to baby sit Hannah in the morning."

"I'm sure he won't mind but I will ask in the morning," she told him before leaning over, kissing him again quickly and climbing out of the car.

He waited in the drive until she turned and waved to say that she was fine before making his way home.

His mom was getting ready for work when he got home just before midnight. She didn't normally work the night shift but a friend had asked her to swap for the night.

"How was it?" she asked him excitedly.

"Good," he told her. He could feel his cheeks getting hot and knew he was blushing, "I'm going to see her tomorrow afternoon, when you get home from work."

Rebekah squealed with excitement. She didn't want to admit it but for a while there, she didn't think her son would ever find someone he really wanted to be with. Rachel had made her dreams as a mother come true, "Oh Noah, I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah Yeah, I'm going to bed. What time will you be home?" he asked her.

"Ill try to be back around 11," she told him. Kissing his head and heading off to work.

Noah climbed the stairs to his room, changed and climbed into bed. He smiled as he remembered the events from the evening and quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_**So what did you think? Please review!**_

_**Elle xo**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN: Hi all, I'm sorry for the delay, if you have read my other stories, you'll know what's going on and why I'm so uninspired at the moment. Hope you enjoy it =) I love how much you guys are loving this story.**_

* * *

Rachel woke in a great mood on Sunday morning. She showered and dressed before wandering out to the kitchen. The house was quiet which meant Will was still asleep. Rachel quietly searched through the cupboards and fridge for her required equipment. She wanted to make breakfast for Will today to show her how much she appreciated everything he has done for her.

Will woke to the smell of food wafting into his bedroom. He sat up quickly, rather surprised that Rachel was cooking. She was still incredibly wary around strangers but he had really watched her come out of her shell around people she knew in the past week. He pulled a shirt on and walked out to the kitchen.

"Oh good, your awake," she said to him.

"You're cooking?" his tone made it more of a question than a statement.

"Well my fathers certainly didn't cook so I had to feed myself somehow," she said quietly.

"I have no doubt that you're a fabulous cook," he smiled at her, "I just meant that I am shocked you are cooking right now… I didn't expect it."

"Oh," Rachel blushed at her mistake, "I just wanted to say thanks… for everything you have done." She pushed a plate towards him.

"No thanks are needed. I wouldn't have had it any other way," he told her taking a bite of the omelette in front of him, "God Kiddo, this is amazing!"

Rachel laughed at his reaction to the food and the nickname. They ate in silence for a minute before curiosity got the better of the teacher.

"So, how was last night?" he asked her with a smile. Fatherly instincts kicking in, he had lain awake in bed until he heard her come in the front door just before midnight. He knew Puck's history. It was just last year that he and Quinn had had a baby together and given her away to a loving couple in Columbus. Both the teens had agreed that sleeping together was a mistake, and after a while, Finn had come to understand and forgive them.

Rachel blushed, "Good. Noah was very charming… I was kind of hoping he could come over this afternoon," she hinted shyly. He looked at the nervous girl in front of him and smiled.

"That's fine, Rachel," he told her, "… but I do feel the need to go through some rules, starting with a 10pm curfew on school nights and midnight on weekends. Also, your bedroom door is to stay open when you're both in there… I'm totally not ready for that."

Rachel laughed, trying to ease the awkwardness, "don't worry, I'm not ready for that either but your conditions are very reasonable."

"Good. Now that is settled, what are you're plans for this afternoon?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know, Noah just asked if I was free and if you would mind if he came over," Rachel explained. Will stood and took their dishes to the sink. Rachel quickly messaged Noah, telling him he could come around when he was finished looking after his sister. After stacking the dishwasher he took his wallet off the bench, took out a fifty dollar bill and handed it to her.

"What is this for?" Rachel asked.

"Your allowance," he told her, "I know you don't have a job so money must be getting kind of tight. Social Services give me a fortnightly payment to help with food, clothes, bills and the like… but as long as you help out around here when you can and keep up with your school work, I want a share of that money to go straight to you."

Rachel smiled at him shyly, "thank you."

"You're welcome."

He told her he was going to have a shower and went to leave the room when she stopped him, "Uh… do you mind if I borrow your work laptop to type up my English assignment? It's due on Monday," she asked hesitantly.

"Go ahead, It's in the living room. I'll write down the login details for you," he pulled a post-it out of a draw and wrote them down handing it over to her. She thanked him and went to grab the laptop bag. She set herself and the computer up on the dining room table, not wanting to take his computer into her room. She powered it up and looked at the login details on the post-it and froze.

_Username: _

_Password: Rachel94_

Surely it must be a mistake. Why would her name and birth year be the password on his work computer? She typed it in and jumped slightly when it worked. Rachel was still staring at the screen when he walked back into the room.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, seeing the strange look on her face.

"My name is the password for your computer," Rachel said, half as a question, half as a statement. He sat across from her and pulled out a stack of marking.

"Lots of people have their daughters' names as their computer passwords," he said while continuing to mark the Spanish papers in front of him, "not very original but it is easy to remember."

Rachel was silent for a long time. So long in fact, when she finally spoke up, he jumped at the sound of her voice, "I'm your daughter?" she asked quietly. Will put the red pen in his hand down and looked at her.

"Yes Rachel."

While Noah had told her he had referred to her as his daughter a few times it was entirely different coming from him. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears and couldn't stop them from falling. Will rushed to her side.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he put his hand on her shoulder.

"N-N-Nothing," she sobbed, "This is just finally sinking in. I've never really had a dad before."

"Well I've never had a daughter before so we can learn together," he reassured her. Rachel nodded and wiped her eyes. She tried to focus on her work but Noah's words from the night before kept playing over and over in her mind. _'Do you call Will dad?' 'I don't think he would mind.'_

"Will?" she asked quietly. She continued when he looked up at her, "Uh… do you think I could… I mean… um, would you mind… if I called you dad?" she stumbled over her words, "It's okay if that makes you uncomfortable…I just…"

"Rachel!" he stopped her rambling, "I would be honoured."

They both smiled brightly at each other before turning back to their work in a comfortable silence.

* * *

Rachel grabbed Noah's arm and pulled him into the living room the second she answered the door. He followed her obediently but laughed.

"Hi Puck, how are you?" he said sarcastically at her lack of greeting.

"Sorry, Hi… I want to show you something," she apologised sitting down at the piano bench, "and I would never call you Puck, Noah." He sat on the couch across from her and watched as she pulled her hair into a pony tail. Her fingers brushed over the keys lightly before she started to play. Puck recognised the song immediately as the Nickleback song he had spoken about yesterday.

"Cool," he said with a smile, "that sounds good."

"I found the music this morning… the arrangement still needs work but I think it's suited to your voice," she told him as she closed up the piano.

"My voice?" Noah questioned.

"Of course. It was your song choice and it is perfect for you," she explained, "You have a lovely voice, Noah."

He blushed and looked away, embarrassed by all the attention on him, "Where is Will?" he asked.

"He went out with Emma… Miss Pillsbury, they will be back later," she informed him coming to sit next to him on the couch, "want to watch some TV?" she suggested, handing over the remote.

He flicked to as station playing the second half of a comedy movie and settled back into the couch. Working up the courage, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her back against his chest. She looked up at him and smiled.

They watched TV in silence for a while. Well, Rachel watched TV- Puck pretended to be interested in the movie while really he was watching her. She glanced at him and caught him staring.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothings wrong… You just…" he fumbled over his words, "You're very beautiful Rachel," he admitted.

She smiled awkwardly, "Uh, thank you." No one had ever told her that before.

Noah took the opportunity to look her in the eye. He took his chances and lent down to gently capture her lips in a kiss. After a quick moment, she returned the pressure, turning her body to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"For the record, babe," he started, "this means you're officially my girlfriend… I mean, if you'll have me."

"I'd like that Noah," she forcefully pulled his lips back over hers. He sucked gently on her bottom lip as she ran her hand through his strip of hair. He wove his hands into her hair, pulling her face even closer. He was making a conscious effort not to let his hands roam as he knew she was still not keen on contact but Rachel's hands moved down to his waist and under his shirt to scrape against his toned stomach. Suddenly there was a loud cough coming from the doorway and the couple jumped apart.

"Uh, hi," Puck said awkwardly to Will and Emma who were smiling brightly at the pair.

"Hi Puck," the teacher grinned, trying hard not to laugh at the embarrassment on both teens faces, "carry on, we'll just be in the kitchen."

When the older couple left the room, Puck couldn't help but laugh, "Your dad and his… well whatever Miss Pillsbury is, just walked in on us making-out and didn't have a problem with it… I think he missed a class at parenting school. I don't have the best reputation."

"Trust me Noah, he knows all about your reputation and set some ground rules this morning… but he trusts you and I trust you," she told him honestly. Noah was shocked, nobody had ever shown that much faith in him before, particularly not the parents of any of the girls he was interested in and especially after last years baby drama. She kissed him one last time, "we should go and be sociable before they come back in here."

Rachel grabbed his hand and he followed her into the kitchen. She opened up the cupboard and poured two glasses with water. They went and joined the older couple at the table. She told them about the song Noah had suggested for glee and how she had started working on an appropriate arrangement.

"Mr Schue, would it be alright if Rachel came over to my house for dinner tonight? My mom is whining because she hasn't seen her in a week," Puck asked.

"It's Will, Puck… and that's fine- just have her home by curfew, you both have school tomorrow," Will reminded them. The two teens went to Rachel's room to grab a few things leaving Emma and Will to talk.

"Wow Will. Rachel looks like she is doing great," Emma commented.

"Yeah, she has really come out of her shell the last couple of days… I think Puck is responsible for that… She has nightmares most nights though… she wakes up absolutely terrified," Will told his friend, "She uh… she asked if she can call me dad this morning."

"How do you feel about that?" the guidance councillor asked genuinely shocked by this new information.

"Truthfully, I feel honoured. I already think of her as my daughter and refuse to let her go back to that place after everything they have done to her. I love her too much to let anything happen to her."

"That's great Will, She has been good for you too," Emma told him. Rachel and Noah came back in the room to say a quick goodbye.

"I won't be late," Rachel promised taking the house key Will was handing her.

"Go have fun, Kiddo," he pushed her gently towards the door. Rachel once again noticed his use of the new nickname he seemed to have developed for her. As childish as it was, she liked it because it made her feel like she could still have part of a somewhat normal childhood. She smiled and quickly pulled Noah outside.

* * *

When his truck pulled up outside his house, Rachel went to jump out of the passenger seat but a hand on her knee stopped her. Noah walked around to her door and held it open. His hands went to her waist and helped her down. Rachel's hands rested on his shoulders as he lifted her out of the car.

"Thank you," She placed a quick kiss on his cheek and smiled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the front door. His mom beamed when the two walked in hand in hand.

"Rachel!" she pulled the girl in for a hug, "How are you going?"

"I'm doing better, thank you," she returned Rebekah's hug.

"Is it okay if Rach stays for dinner?" Noah asked knowing his mom would say yes straight away.

"Absolutely! Why don't you go up to Noah's room while I'm cooking," she suggested.

Noah rolled his eyes and pulled her upstairs, "she likes you," he laughed, "She never lets me have girls up here. Actually, she pretty much put a stop to them coming over full stop after last year."

Rachel laughed and sat down next to him on the bed and threw an arm around his shoulder, "like you said, you have a reputation… but you have changed Noah, I can see that and I'm sure she can too."

"I don't deserve you," he whispered into her neck.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Noah. If it wasn't for you… I honestly don't know where I would be right now or how I would handle all of this," she told him, "I know I am still not myself at school or around others and I am trying to work on that, but I have never felt more comfortable than I do with you, Will and your mom."

"You're doing much better now," he whispered, "I'm proud of you."

Dinner went fine. Rebekah made sure to ask Rachel lots of questions about music and school to try and keep the conversation light. She understood that the girl was trying to move on and didn't need constant reminders about her horrible childhood. After dinner, found Rachel and Noah lying on Noah's bed just talking. Conversation was easy now that they had broken past each others invisible walls. Now they were quite content just to be in each others company.

* * *

After Noah dropped Rachel back at her house, Will and the girl were sitting on the couch. Will had the late night news on while Rachel was flipping through her book.

"Rachel, I have to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me," he said during an ad break. Rachel closed her book and turned to look at him properly with a nod of her head, "This all started because you asked about your birth mother," Will started, "Do you still want to find her?"

Rachel shook her head quickly but then looked thoughtful, "well… I guess I do… but not yet," she replied, "It's just too much right now."

"Okay… but you have to promise me that if and when you do decide it's what you want to do, that you'll come and see me about it, okay?" her father replied. Rachel gave him a small smile and nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

_**Please let me know what you think =)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**AN: Hey all! Hope you like this chapter. I think it's kinda cute. It deals with all the glee kids coming to terms with the fact Rachel is their teachers daughter. Please let me know what you think =)**_

* * *

When Noah got to Mr Schue's office on Monday morning, Rachel was sitting on the chair in front of his desk waiting for him. He waved to his teacher and held out his hand for Rachel to take.

"Are you sure you want to do this Noah?" she asked him, worried about his answer, "holding hands will ultimately mean the entire school know about this and I don't want it to effect your reputation."

Noah quickly stopped her with a hand to her elbow, "Rachel, they already think something is going on anyway," he told her, "there have been rumours going around the school for a few weeks now but they really started after the… uh, slushie incident last week."

"Oh," Rachel said softly. She hadn't known about that… but she had secluded herself from the rest of the school over the past month or more so her ignorance was understandable.

"Look Rachel, I couldn't care less what people think… I only care what you think and if you don't want people to know about us yet, then I am cool with that… but don't hide this because you think that is what I want, coz its not."

Rachel smiled at him tentatively, "I don't want to hide this either."

He linked his fingers with hers and pulled her through the halls towards the glee clubs new meeting place- Rachel's locker. Nobody from Glee had been particularly surprised when they walked up hand in hand.

"Finally!" Santana whooped, "I was wondering how much longer it would take for the two of you to realise how perfect you are for each other."

Everyone else eagerly nodded their agreement except Kurt, who continued to file his nails. He had been informed of their date last week and, of course, helped Rachel choose a suitable outfit.

"Good job on Saturday, Beyonce," Puck grinned at the boy and held his fist out. Kurt hesitantly bumped fists with the teen.

"I know. I'm a genius."

Rachel cheeks grew hot as she blushed. She knew full well what they were talking about. Everyone else looked confused by the conversation.

"I gave Rachel a little make-over before their date on Saturday," Kurt explained, indicating between the pair.

"Yeah and she looked smokin," Puck smirked, squeezing her hand tightly. The rest of the school seemed to accept the change in their relationship without much surprise. As Noah had said earlier, there had been rumours buzzing around the school for some time now, they were just confirming them.

* * *

The next week in Glee, Rachel had surprised everyone by _finally_ speaking to them without them having to prompt her to.

"Can I try my Don't Stop solo again?" she asked the room randomly, interrupting her father's rant about preparations for sectionals as if she hadn't been listening to a word he was saying anyway. Will smiled brightly and looked over to Quinn who eagerly nodded her agreement to give back the solo- they were all shocked to hear her voice and they probably would have agreed to anything at that point in time. While the performance didn't have the same spark it usually had when Rachel sang, everyone grinned at the sight of Rachel belting out the lyrics.

Will handed out the weekly assignment to the group. They were splitting into two teams and each team had to present the theme song to an iconic movie or TV show. The winning team were going to receive a night out at the movies, paid for by him. They all wanted to win. The point of the assignment was to have everyone relax a little since they were all so stressed about sectionals.

He split them into their two teams. Santana, Puck, Rachel, Kurt, Matt and Tina in group one. Quinn, Finn, Artie, Brittany, Mike and Mercedes in group two. Matt and Brittany were sulking loudly about having been separated.

"But you put Puck and Rachel in the same group and they are a couple, so are Quinn and Finn," Matt argued.

"Guys… you know Rachel… can't dance with… just anyone and the point of the assignment is to relax," he hesitantly tried to calm them without embarrassing his daughter. Rachel blushed and looked away. Brittany and Matt cringed having forgotten that piece of information.

Kurt took charge of his group, making them all huddle round to discuss their song choice, "The boys have football practice after school so why don't we separate to think of some possible choices and then meet up at someone's house to discuss?" he suggested.

"Sounds good but whose house are we going to go to?" Santana asked, "My grandparents are visiting so my place is out."

"I'm not allowed people over unless I give my parents days notice," Tina reminded them about her super strict parents. Matt shook his head when they turned to him, leaving only Kurt, Puck and Rachel.

"My dad said no after the last time I had everyone over resulted in the police being called to deal with noise," Kurt said with a snigger.

"I guess I can ask now," Rachel said quietly standing up and crossing the room to her father with the others watching the exchange closely.

"Dad? I have a favour…" she said hopefully, "We need somewhere to rehearse tonight and everyone else's houses are out of the question…" she hinted.

"Sure, that's fine. Why don't we order a heap of pizza's for dinner as well?" he suggested, happy that Rachel was letting her friends into her life. Rachel smiled, thanked him and walked quickly back to her group.

"We can rehearse at my place," she told them, "and he said you can stay for dinner."

"Great! And while the boys are at football, you are coming with me, Berry," Santana said, pulling Rachel back up to her feet.

After school Santana dragged Rachel out to her car. Rachel sent Will a message telling him where she was, "where are we going?" she asked Santana.

"You and I are going to my mom's store to shop and then we are meeting the others at the mall for afternoon tea," Santana drove them through the streets of Lima to the mall.

"Your mom has a store?"

"Yup, she has some of the cutest outfits ever and it's all reasonably priced… Plus my mom wants to meet you," Santana explained. Rachel enjoyed spending time with Santana and her mom. Marissa had been very excited to meet Santana's choir teachers' daughter who apparently, the girl hadn't stopped speaking about. Santana had chosen a number of outfits for Rachel to try on and with some persuasion, Rachel agreed. The Latina mucked around taking photos in a number of different poses. Rachel ended up buying a cute little dress which Santana joked would have Puck hot under the collar. The pair met Tina and Kurt in the food hall and ordered their snacks. They kept conversation light and easy until Rachel looked at her watch.

"We should go if we are going to be at my house before the boys get there," she told them quietly. Kurt and Tina followed Santana's car to their teacher's house and parked out the front. Rachel led the small group up to the front door and let them in.

"Daddy?" she called out, dumping her bag by the door. The others all exchanged small smiles at Rachel's referring to their teacher as 'daddy.' It was a situation they weren't yet used too.

"In the dinning room, Rachel," they heard their teacher shout out, "Don't leave your bag by the door," he warned. Rachel furrowed her eyebrows at getting caught, but turned, walked back to the door and picked up the offending item as the others laughed at her being scolded. The group followed Rachel through the house to the dinning room where their teacher was busy mark a heap of papers.

"Hi girls… Kurt," he greeted them with a smile. Tina and Santana shifted slightly uncomfortably at seeing their teacher outside of school. Kurt was used to it by now.

"We are going to go into my room while we wait for the boys," she told her father who nodded in response. Rachel easily led the teens through the house to her room where she dumped her bag in its appropriate place. Tina and Santana looked around Rachel's room with curiosity.

"Cool room!" Santana said running her hands over the music stickers on the wall, "how long have you lived with Mr Schue? It looks like you have been here for a long time," she asked curiously indicating to Rachel's room, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable… I'm just curious."

"I don't know…A while now. It's all kind of fuzzy now. I wasn't really in a great thinking place when I first got here… Noah would know. I had only been here a few days before he found out," Rachel answered quietly, shrugging her shoulders, "and I think it's a cool room as well but I can't take the credit for it," she smiled shyly at Kurt.

"Hey! I only chose the colours, Puck chose everything else," he laughed. The other two looked confused.

"Dad, Kurt and Noah re-decorated my room just after I first moved here, as a surprise," Rachel explained, "Kurt insists that Noah chose everything."

"He did… It was all his idea… I just advised," Kurt repeated.

They all flopped down on Rachel's bed discussing their song choices.

* * *

Puck knocked on the door to his girlfriends' house with Matt standing awkwardly behind him.

"This is kinda weird," Matt whispered.

Puck laughed in response, "You get used to it. It was weird when Mr Schue and Ms Pillsbury totally walked in on Rach and I making out."

Will answered the door with a smile, "Hi boys, how was football practice?" he held the door open and silently invited the pair inside. Both boys answered with a quick 'good.'

"They are in Rachel's room," the teacher told the teens, "they were gossiping but they have been quiet for a while now. You know where it is Puck, go straight down."

Puck led his friend through the halls to Rachel's room where he knocked on the door. When he didn't get an answer he shrugged his shoulders and gently pushed the door open. He smiled at the sight of the three girls and Kurt asleep in a pile on the bed.

"Rise and shine campers!" he called loudly making the sleeping teens jump awake.

"You're here!" Rachel rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She sat up and quickly walked over to Noah with a smile.

"Yup… we're here to work hard after a tough football practice and we walk in to find you slackers asleep," he teased.

"Hey, all the shopping we did this afternoon was exhausting too!" Santana said with a mock offended tone.

"Well, lucky for you all… I have the perfect song for us to do," Kurt declared, "I'll Be There For You, from Friends! Given everything that is going on at the moment, it seems appropriate." Kurt looked over at Rachel and she understood he had suggested the song for her. Everyone smiled and nodded their agreement.

"Daddy, can I please borrow your computer?" Rachel called down the hall.

"It's in the dining room," he replied, leaving Rachel to run and grab it. She set it up on her desk and waited for it to load.

"Is that his work computer?" Kurt asked as he watched her type in the log in details and connect it to the internet.

"uh… yes," Rachel replied.

"And you know his password?"

Another nod from Rachel confirmed it.

"We could totally get up to mischief with that…" he smirked in reply.

Rachel didn't respond. Instead, she pulled out a notepad and pen from her desk draw and they immediately started researching and talking through ideas. Twenty minutes later Mr Schue knocked on the open bedroom door, interrupting a heated argument about costume choices.

"Alright, pizza order," he told them with a smile, "what do you all want?"

The teens eagerly called out their dinner orders and Mr Schue rang the order through. Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang.

"Dinners here!" Will called down the hall to the teens who were busy discussing their project. Rachel led them out of her room and into the kitchen where she grabbed a heap of plates and napkins out of the cupboard and carried them into the living room. Will placed the stack of pizza's on the coffee table. He grabbed a couple of slices out of the boxes for himself.

"I'll leave you guys too it," he ruffled Rachel's hair affectionately, "There are drinks in the fridge. Rach, you know where everything is."

"Thanks for dinner Mr Schue!" Tina called. The others all nodded their agreement as they hungrily grabbed pizza slices out of the boxes. They chatted about the boys football practise.

"I've never been to a football game," Rachel admitted from her spot on the floor. Everyone's eyes went wide.

"Never?" Santana gasped, "Well we have to fix that!"

"Hey Mr Schue!" Matt and Santana called simultaneously to their teacher who was walking passed the doorway.

"Can Rachel come with us to the boys football game on Saturday night?" Santana asked, "She has never been before and I promise I will look after her."

"I don't need looking after!" Rachel complained with a laugh.

"Shoosh you!" Santana ordered in a mock whisper, "I'm trying to convince your dad here…"

Will laughed at them, "You can go Rachel," he smiled, "but don't forget CPS will be here for a meeting in the morning. You need to be here for that."

Rachel nodded, "Thanks." Will left the teens in the lounge room to continue talking.

"What is CPS?" Matt asked curiously.

"Um... Child Protection Services," Rachel answered quietly.

"Why are they coming here?" Matt questioned earning a glare from Santana.

Rachel blushed and looked away, "uh… I," she stumbled, "I'm a ward of the state- a foster kid. Will is my legal guardian… my dad… but Social Services and CPS are required to check up on us. To make sure Will is looking after me," she explained quietly.

The small group worked on their assignment for a while longer before the guests decided it was time to leave. Rachel walked them all outside and waved goodbye as all, except Noah, climbed into the cars. Noah's hands found her hips as her arms wrapped around his neck. She planted a firm kiss on his lips.

"Night babe," he said with a smile before pulling her in for another kiss. Matt and Kurt, who were waiting for a lift in Puck's truck, whistled at them from the car. Without pulling away, Puck flashed them the bird. Rachel pulled back and smiled at him.

"Goodnight Noah."

* * *

_**I start holidays in less than a week (Yay!) and although I have heaps of family coming over, I should have more free time, so if I haven't updated soon, HOUND ME UNTIL I DO! Because I'm just being lazy. I want to get into the habit of updating ever few days (at least for this story).**_

_**The next chapter of Our Little Arrangement and You Belong Here Now should be up tomorrow!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I haven't written this in a while so just a reminder that I don't own Glee or it's characters… if I did, it would have been very different.**_

_**Firstly, I've made some decisions. I have a lot going on in my life right now that is keeping me from updating when I plan too, so I've decided to make the chapters I post longer (if possible) to make up for the wait and I'm also thinking of asking someone to be my assistant (of sorts) kind of like a Beta to just check up on what I've done, remind me to post and just generally help me out with my stories.**_

_**Secondly, just a bit of warning that I am taking my class on camp for a while (Yay for me…?) so for obvious reasons won't be able to update. However, if I am organized enough may be able to get someone to update for me.**_

* * *

Friday evening Will called Rachel into the dinning room before Noah came to pick her up for dinner, "okay… we have to have a few awkward conversations," he cringed. Rachel had known this was coming at some point and smirked at his uneasiness. Will couldn't help but think she had been spending far too much time with Puck when he saw the look on her face.

"Okay, I will start with the most awkward topic. So I know you haven't been to the doctors since you moved in but I think that um… you should perhaps go soon… I mean, you're dating Noah and I have no delusions as to what teens get up too… I just want you to be prepared," he stuttered his explanation and slid a paper bag across the table. Rachel opened it up and felt her cheeks turn red. She had to chuckle slightly at the sight of a box of condoms and the fact he was practically insisting she go on the pill at some point in the near future. Rachel nodded to show she understood what he was saying.

"I uh… I don't have a doctor," she admitted, "I've only ever been to the hospital through emergency."

"Oh. Well I can take you to see mine if you like or maybe Emma could take you to see hers if you would prefer talking to a female," he suggested, "Which brings me to the next topic… Emma. You may have noticed we are seeing each other so I don't want you to be surprised if she is here often… like say, in the morning," he hoped she understood what he was saying.

Thankfully she smiled knowingly, "I'm okay with that… I like her," she reassured him.

* * *

Rachel woke in a good mood on Saturday morning. Noah had laughed loudly when she told him about the 'uncomfortable conversation' she had had with Will. When he dropped her home, she had walked into an empty house. Will had told her he was going out so she wasn't concerned. She walked into the kitchen the next morning and filled the kettle to make herself a cup of tea.

Rachel jumped when she turned back from the counter and met Emma Pillsbury's gaze.

The guidance councillor shifted somewhat uncomfortably. Rachel's eyes swept over the woman and she noticed she was wearing pyjamas. Rachel tried not to laugh at her uncomfortableness.

"Hi Rachel," Emma crossed her arms protectively. They stood and stared at each other in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you uh… do you want a cup of tea or coffee?" Rachel asked politely. Emma was slightly surprised that Rachel was talking to her, but then remembered that the girl was in her own home and probably felt a lot more comfortable than she did at school.

"Sure, I can help… Where are the mugs?" Emma smiled. Rachel pointed to a shelf behind her and got the milk and sugar out as well. Emma pulled out three mugs, "do you know what your dad will have?"

"Coffee… black with one sugar," she told the woman. Together they got the mugs ready and just as they were stirring in the sugar, Will walked in.

"Morning kiddo," he kissed Rachel's forehead and then moved to the other side of the counter to wrap his arms around Emma, "Morning," he kissed her cheek. Rachel took her mug into the living room to give the two some privacy.

"Well that was slightly awkward," Emma smiled when she heard the TV turn on in the other room.

"Haha. Not as awkward as when I spoke to her about it yesterday," he laughed.

"Maybe, but you needed to give her some warning," she reminded him handing him the mug of coffee. He led them over to the table where they talked for a little while. Rachel came back into the room and put her mug in the dishwasher.

"I need to get ready," she told them.

Will nodded, knowing that she was still wary of the people from Social Services, "It will be fine. What else are you doing today?"

"Santana is insisting she needs to come over as soon as I am free to get ready for the football game tonight. She says she has the perfect outfit for me, but I don't honestly know what could take so long that she needs to come over hours before the game," Rachel explained. Will and Emma laughed and Rachel left the room to go and get showered and dressed. The doorbell rang promptly at 10am. Emma excused herself so she wouldn't be in the way.

Rachel greeted Melanie and the CPS representative at the door and led her into the living room.

"So how have things been going?" She asked the father and daughter.

"Good… I really like staying here," Rachel told the woman, "… I don't have to leave, do I?" Rachel stood in a panic. She hadn't really thought about what would happen to her in the long run and was terrified at the thought of having to go to another foster home.

"No Rachel, you can stay here," Melanie smiled. She really liked to see her charges so happy in their new environments.

Melanie spoke to them both individually. She asked Will about how he was providing for Rachel and what arrangements and plans he had made for the near future. He told her that Rachel would always have a place in his house and that she was his daughter now. Melanie smiled. Rachel had informed the woman that 'her dad' was great and that he made sure she was well taken care of. It was clear to the councillor that Rachel had blossomed under the mans care and they would do anything in their power to stay together. Rachel proudly showed the woman her room when she was asked if she was given appropriate sleeping quarters.

Before Melanie left, she pulled Will aside again, "the court date against her fathers has been set for November 23rd," she informed him of the date two weeks from now, "as long as things go to plan there… you might like to consider legally adopting Rachel… Of course you are under no obligation but it seemed like something you might be interested in doing."

Will nodded, "thank you."

* * *

Rachel called Santana the second Melanie left. She was sitting on the couch watching a movie with her dad and Emma when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, it will be Santana," she said happily. She opened the door and stared at the outfit in the teens hands.

"Uh uh! No Way!" Rachel gasped, "I am not wearing that!"

"Why not? You would look hot in it," Santana laughed. She had been expecting this kind of a reaction.

"In case you haven't noticed… I'm not a cheerleader," Rachel said through her teeth looking at the red, black and white skirt and top.

"You could be. I've seen you dance. We have a spare spot without Quinn, who is cool with this by the way, and I have talked to Coach Sylvester… I figured sitting on the bleachers might cause issues because its going to be so busy so I was trying to get her to agree to let you sit down with us… but she said you'd have to be a Cheerio for that. She is counting today as your try out so you have to do this… Relax though, this is only a temporary uniform. If you don't like it after you have tried it, I'll let you quit," Santana reassured her.

Rachel stared at the girl and slowly nodded, "okay, I guess I can give it a shot."

"Great!" the cheerleader beamed, "now let's go to your room so we can start this make-over… we are going to turn you into the hottest cheerleader ever and then we are going to meet Brittany at the oval to teach you the routines."

A couple of hours later, Rachel and Santana emerged from Rachel's room. Rachel had been freshly waxed, plucked and her hair had been straightened. Santana had cut her bangs and showed her how to pull her hair up into a tight, high pony-tail. She gave Rachel some tips on how to do her make up. The girl was a little self-conscience of the bruises and scars that covered her mid section and arms as she pulled the uniform top over her head. If Santana noticed them, she didn't say anything.

Rachel was shocked when she finally got to see the new her in the mirror. Her eyes were bright as the dark eye make-up made them stand out and her cheeks had just the right amount of colour. The uniform itself was identical to Santana's except the jacket did not have her name embroidered on the sleeve.

"I look…" Rachel started but was unable to find words to completely describe what she was thinking.

"You look hot, Berry!" Santana smiled. She pulled the nervous girl out to her father and his girlfriend.

"Sup Mr Schue! Miss Pillsbury!" She greeted the pair who were both shocked to see Rachel in the cheerleading uniform, "tell her she looks great please." Santana made Rachel spin in her new outfit.

"You look very nice Rachel," Emma said with a smile. Will nodded his agreement.

"See! I told you… now let's go meet Brittany."

* * *

The girls were mostly silent on their way to the oval. As they pulled up to a stop sign, Santana turned from her spot in the drivers seat to look at her. Rachel could tell she wanted to ask something but she turned back to the road and resumed the drive. After a few more minutes silence, Santana spoke up.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked hesitantly, indicating slightly to the two visible scars on her left arm and the bruises. She knew there were more that were covered by her clothing, she had seen them after the slushie incident.

"Not really, only if I bump them… they are pretty much gone now," Rachel protectively crossed her arms to cover them up.

"Uh… how did they happen?" Santana asked, "… you don't have to tell me, I'm just… curious."

Rachel looked out the passenger side window silently. She sat like that for a long time and Santana didn't think she was going to answer the question, but she did… eventually, "The bruises that you saw a few weeks ago were from the night I… uh left," Santana knew that by 'left' Rachel meant 'was kicked out', "this scar… well, it's a couple of years old now… I was late getting home or dinner wasn't right… I don't really remember," Rachel said still staring out the window, "there are too many others to tell," she mumbled her admission under her breath.

"Shit, Rachel… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's okay," Rachel whispered, "My therapist says I need to talk about it with someone. I have a new family now… I just hope I won't have to leave."

"Can they make you leave?"

Rachel nodded slowly, "if they decide Dad… Mr Schue… can't look after me properly… or if my fathers win the court case in a couple of weeks… if that happens I might have to go back to their house. I don't know what I would do if that happened."

"Oh," Santana hadn't understood how fragile the situation was, "well I'm sure that won't happen… Mr Schue is awesome. How did you end up with him anyway?"

"Umm… I wasn't sure where to go. I was just going to see if the school was open so I could stay in the auditorium or something but it was locked. He was leaving for home and found me. I don't know much more than that. I fell asleep and he organised everything with Emma and Principal Figgins' help."

The girls arrived at the oval shortly. Rachel nervously played with the hem of the uniform shirt as they walked across the field to meet Brittany.

"Rachel!" The blonde girl shrieked, "You look fantastic!"

"Uh thanks… I feel a bit ridiculous," Rachel admitted.

"Nonsense… You look great. Now lets get started in teaching you the routines you will need for tonight," Santana said turning back to Brittany.

Rachel picked up the routines easily, though with her dancing background that was no surprise. They practised over and over for a good few hours, only stopping for bathroom breaks, drinks and snacks. Their rehearsal was finally called to an end when Santana's mother called needing her at home. The three girls were walking back to the car.

"You did really well Rachel!" Brittany complimented the girl and Rachel beamed.

"I have to admit, I enjoyed learning the new routines."

Santana dropped Rachel back at her house where she found Will grading papers on the couch. He looked up as she walked into the room.

"So you're a Cheerio now?" He said with a smile. He knew he should be worried that Sue Sylvester might be trying to bring the club down again but he couldn't help but feel happy for his daughter.

"Only temporarily at this stage, but Santana and Brittany want me to join… I don't know though," Rachel fiddled with the uniform.

"The uniform suits you," he reassured her, knowing she was mostly hesitant because of his history with the cheerleading coach, "now go and do your homework before you have to leave for the game."

Rachel grabbed an apple on her way through the kitchen and left to do her homework. Will smiled from his spot on the couch. An hour later he could hear Rachel tear off and scrunch up another piece of paper. She was obviously having trouble with something. He knocked softly on her door.

"Come in," she sighed.

"Having trouble with your homework?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"I'm not that good at Maths," she admitted.

"Rachel you are taking junior maths and you are only a sophomore. You can't be that bad," he laughed.

"These problems just don't make sense! And I can't get my essay for History to sound right."

"Bring them out to the dinning room, we can take a look together," he told her.

Rachel's eyes widened, "You want to help me with my homework?"

"Sure," he smiled, "I learnt all of this at school too and while I might be a little rusty, I'm sure we can figure out the answers together."

Rachel smiled, "thank you." Her fathers had never once shown an interest in her school work and she knew Will understood that. She quickly gathered her textbooks, workbooks, pencils and calculator and headed out to the dinning room where Will had cleared a spot for them to work.

"Alright let's have a look at your maths first," he told her, taking the textbook from her hands and looking over the questions, "okay so you have to find the unknown variable?" Rachel nodded.

"What if we did this…" he took the pencil from her hands and jotted down a few lines of an equation and handed it back to her.

Rachel looked it over and her eyes widened at the answer that worked, "I have been staring at that problem for the last twenty minutes and you solved it in a few seconds."

"Sometimes it just takes a fresh set of eyes. Here I'll show you what to look for," he ran her through the steps she should take and helped her answer a few. While Rachel was finishing off the last of her problems by herself, he got started on making her a snack for before the game. They were working on her History project when the doorbell rang.

"Will that be Santana?" he asked her. When he saw her nod, he called out down the hall, "the door is open, Santana."

The cheerleader walked into the room to see their teacher working with Rachel on her homework. Rachel started to pack away when he ordered her to sit back down.

"Ah! No… sit back down and finish that paragraph first!"

Rachel scoffed but did as she was told while Santana sat down and patiently waited. After a few minutes, Rachel finished what she was working on and handed her notebook over to her dad to read. He handed her a bowl with chicken salad in it, telling her to 'eat', and then he read through her work.

"See! I told you, you could do it," he told her proudly.

Rachel smiled, "thank you… now can I go?" she said impatiently.

He laughed and stepped out of her way, "go ahead."

Rachel quickly ran to her room to freshen up her make-up, leaving her new friend and father alone together.

Will turned to Santana, "I'm not sure this is a good idea but she wants to give it a go… make sure you call me if there are any problems," he stressed handing her a card with his phone number on it.

"Don't stress Mr Schue, I got this and besides… Puck will be there too," she reassured him.

"I know. I'm just worried about what might happen."

Santana smiled and put the card into her bag as Rachel re-entered the room, "you ready for your first game?"

Rachel nodded nervously as she was dragged out to Santana's car. When they arrived at the school oval Santana led Rachel straight over to Coach Sylvester. The coach looked the girl up and down before nodding her head in approval.

"Well she looks the part at least… I can practically feel the nervousness coming from her. That's good," she turned to Rachel, "you should be nervous… now go and join the rest of the squad," she ordered.

To Rachel's surprise, the other Cheerio's had been very accepting of her trying out for the squad. She was pretty sure Santana and Brittany had grilled them. She looked around for Noah but she couldn't see him anywhere.

"He's in the change rooms," Brittany smiled, "they will be out in a few minutes." Rachel was nervous about Noah's reaction to her in the cheerleading uniform. She did not have to wait long.

Before she knew it, Santana was directing her where to stand and telling her to cheer. The boys jogged onto the field between the two lines of cheerleaders. Noah jogged right passed her and she chuckled but called out a "Go Noah!" that made him freeze on the spot and turn to look at her.

"Babe! What are you doing down here! And what happened to you!" he said shocked. She could feel his eyes roam over her body and he smiled appreciatively, "not that I am complaining… you look great!"

"Santana got to me… she rocked up this morning with a uniform and practically forced me into it," Rachel explained, "apparently this is my try out."

"So you would be at all the games… bouncing around in that short skirt and stuff," he smirked.

Rachel laughed, "You're disgusting… now go warm up properly. Santana told my dad you would take me home tonight."

"Cool babe… see you then," he kissed her soundly and ran off to join his team.

Santana and Brittany quickly gathered around Rachel and laughed at Pucks reaction. Rachel enjoyed cheering at the game. Between routines the girls taught Rachel the basics of football. Every time they performed one of their routines Rachel could feel Coach Sylvesters eyes on her, critiquing her performance. To everyones surprise McKinley won the game. After the boys ran off to the change rooms, Sue Sylvester called Rachel over.

"I must say, I am surprised you managed to keep up… the place on the squad is yours if you want it," she nodded her approval, "You're small… you would be easy to toss. Come and get your new uniform first thing on Monday."

"Coach Sylvester, While I would be honoured to join the squad, I'm not sure I am ready to have a flying role… I am assuming you know my history," Rachel protectively crossed her arms to cover her body, "I can't have people touching me yet… I just can't handle that now and I have had enough of adults trying to take advantage of me… I am here because I want to perform and I actually kind of like it," she whispered.

The coach looked at Rachel and nodded her head, "Fine. I appreciate your honesty… your blunt attitude will serve the squad well… learn from Santana."

Rachel beamed and turned to walk away but Sue called out to her.

"Berry!" She yelled. Rachel walked back up to her hesitantly. Hoping the coach wasn't going to change her mind, "lots of us have jerks as parents… we have to look after each other. William and I may have our differences, but he will look after you… I've got your back if you need it. You make sure you come and see me if _anyone_ gives you a hard time."

Rachel was left staring as the coaches back got smaller and smaller in the distance. Sue had implied that her parents also been abusive and mentioned that she had Rachel's back.

"Are you alright?" Santana said coming up behind Rachel.

Rachel nodded, "I just worked out why the coach is the way she is," she said with a small smile.

Santana looked confused, "oookay, so I'm gonna let that comment slide for now but you have to tell me what you mean later. So are you on the squad?"

"Yes, Sue said she was impressed with my ability to keep up with you all and that I should learn from you Santana," Rachel repeated what the coach had said.

Santana gasped.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"That's just about the biggest compliment Coach knows how to give… It's like her saying she wants you to be trained to be head cheerleader one day," Brittany explained.

"Oh…"

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around her mid-section. She yelped and jerked herself away from the persons grasp. She turned to meet Noah's gaze and relaxed slightly.

"Sorry babe, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologised sincerely. It was easy to forget how much Rachel had been through sometimes.

"I'm sorry too," she said stepping into his arms to return the hug he had been trying to give.

"Don't apologise… I just forgot," he whispered, holding his hand out for her to take, "you ready to get out of here?"

* * *

Will drove Rachel to school a little earlier than normal so that she could meet Santana and Brittany before they had to go pick up her new uniform. She was pacing up and down her dad's office when they finally arrived.

"Please calm her down!" he joked, "she is going to wear a hole in my floor."

Rachel froze and turned to look at her dad. She hadn't realised she had been pacing, "Sorry, I'm just nervous of what everyone is going to say… I have scars. Everyone will be able to see them," she whispered.

"It will be fine… come and get me if you have any problems," he kissed her forehead.

He smiled at her as she was led away by her new friends. Sue handed her the new set of Cheerio's uniforms. She had 3 full summer sets, 3 sets of white sleeves, the infamous cheerio's jacket and tracksuit, shoes and other little accessories. Rachel ran her fingers over her name _'Rachel'_ that had been embroidered onto the sleeve as Santana and Brittany gently pushed her into the Cheerio's change room to get into her new uniform. She put on the skirt and top with the sleeves underneath and pulled the jacket over the top.

When she emerged from the stall, the girls smiled and sat her down in front of a row of mirrors to fix her hair and make-up. Santana suggested that the process of her becoming a Cheerio would be like an actress getting into character. Cheerio Rachel would be the confident girl where as normal Rachel was the shy victim of child abuse who was misunderstood by her peers. Rachel took her place to the right of Santana as they left the change room and walked down the halls.

Rachel could feel peoples eyes on her as she walked with a confident look on her face next to the head cheerleader. There were whispers and stares as everyone realised Rachel Berry was now a Cheerio and not only that, Santana Lopez… the most popular girl in the school, had taken her under her wing. The look on Santana's face told people not to mess with her. Saying goodbye to her new friends, Rachel went to meet the original Glee Clubbers, minus Finn, at her locker.

"Oh My Gucci!" Kurt called. Those who had not been at the football game had not been privy to the events that had taken place over the weekend, "What happened to you?"

"Santana," Rachel laughed nervously, "She kind of cornered me into trying out at the game on Saturday and Ms Sylvester asked me to join… it's not as bad as I thought it would be but I wish people would stop staring."

"They are staring because you look hot!" Noah said coming up next to her and taking her hand. Rachel blushed furiously at the comment.

"It's true Rachel… the uniform looks fabulous on you," Kurt agreed.

"What does Mr Schuester think about all of this," Tina asked timidly, "We all know he and Coach Sylvester don't get along and now his daughter is part of her squad."

"He's okay with it as long as it's what I want to do," Rachel explained.

* * *

_**So what did you think of the whole 'Rachel as a Cheerio' thing? I ummed and ahhed over it for weeks trying to decide whether it was the right choice, but i think i'm happy with it now.  
**_

_**Please read and review… I love reading them and where I can, responding to readers questions and comments. They really do make a writer's day when it's been particularly stressful.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Hi! Sorry about the delay, no excuses I've just been busy. I'll keep this short so you can get to the good bits. I'm moving (once again) in a couple of weeks but I'm told that this will be the last time (Yay!). I'm not 100% sure where I want to go with this story. I've written more but I don't like all of it… so I thought I'd put it to you lot. What do you want to see happen?**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

Sue Sylvester looked up when there was a knock at the door to her office and called for the visitor to enter. She wasn't at all surprised that Will Schuester had decided to pay her a visit. She had been expecting it for days, "William," she greeted him, "I see that you have still managed to find time to put all that product in your hair even now you have a teenager to look after."

Will rolled his eyes, entered the room shutting the door behind him and sitting across from the coach, "Rachel is actually why I am here. I need to… brief you… How did she go at the game on Friday?"

Sue pouted her lips thoughtfully and lent forward, resting her chin on one of her fists, "Well, she'll make an excellent cheerleader one day. She was quiet, which is to be expected but when I suggested she might make a good flyer, she was honest and told me she wouldn't be able to handle that yet."

The Spanish teacher was a little surprised that the cheerleading coach was having a serious conversation with him without making sarcastic comments or jokes. There was a look in her eyes that he had never seen before. He wasn't sure what it was, but he believed that she genuinely cared about Rachel's wellbeing.

"So I shouldn't be worried about all of this?" Will pushed for more.

"It's true that I despise the Glee club and think that your obsession with hair products will one day turn your brain to an even more disgusting glob. But," she looked him right in the eye, "you are good teacher and you are a good parent… You are the best thing that has or ever will happen to Rachel. When it comes to that girl, I will stand by you and be on your side. I think joining the Cheerio's will help, but she needs other things to build her confidence too… That doesn't mean I am going to stop trying to destroy that ridiculous group you call a show choir."

Will couldn't help but smile at Sue's words, "thank you, Sue."

* * *

In glee on Wednesday, Mr Schue gave the kids time to work on their group projects.

"Mr Schue, we have been talking and we think Rachel's team have an unfair advantage," Quinn joked, "how do we know that you aren't helping them with their song at home?" Everyone laughed knowing that Quinn was only messing with them for fun.

"Well I guess you just have to trust that I'm not… but you do raise a valid point, I will have Coach Beiste and Miss Pillsbury to be guest judges," the teacher told them, "now, class dismissed." The group quickly packed up their belongings.

"Rachel?" the teacher called, before they all left, "I have a staff meeting after school. Do you want to wait or are you okay to walk home?" he asked. Rachel nodded and her father tossed her his keys. Puck was working in his new job at the grocery store that afternoon so wouldn't be able to drop her home.

"It's cool Mr Schue, I'll take her home," Finn called from the back of the group, "I'm taking Quinn to the mall anyway and you're place is on the way."

"Thanks Finn… now everyone, make sure you are on time for Glee tomorrow so we can get straight into our competition," Will reminded them.

Quinn and Rachel piled into Finn's car, "how are you finding the Cheerio's?" Quinn asked politely.

"It's good, hard work, but good… I hope you don't mind. I guess I kinda took your place," Rachel stuttered.

"God! I don't mind Rachel. Coach S wouldn't have asked you to join if you weren't a brilliant cheerleader," Quinn explained, "that part of my life is over… for now at least. You have been through a lot the last few weeks and Santana and Brittany are great for taking your mind off everything. Trust me, I know."

Rachel looked out of her backseat window and sighed as Finn pulled up to her house, "thanks."

She walked into her new house and for the first time in a few weeks, she cried. She wasn't even sure why she was crying but when Will walked into the house an hour later she was still gasping for breath. He dropped all his gear near the door and rushed to her side.

"Rachel! What is wrong?"

Rachel shook her head and shrugged her shoulders as she continued to sob.

"Shhhh…Take a deep breath, Kiddo, you're going to pass out if you don't get some air into you," he rubbed her back. They stayed like that for a while before the sobs died down.

"Did something happen on the way home from school? Did Finn or Quinn say something?"

"No… I just… this is too much… I… I, I haven't told… " She stuttered, "I mean nobody has known about all of this, for a long time… I've never told anyone and now… everyone… everyone is checking up on me and I have friends who all know my… history… and offer to help me… I've never really had friends before… and then there is this court date and I don't want them to take me away from you… and I don't know!"

"Oh Rachel! It will all be okay… I will not let them take you away," He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth. Rachel eventually cried herself to sleep. He carried her to her bed. Will flopped down onto the couch and rested his head in his hands. That was exactly how Emma found him when she arrived twenty minutes later.

After knocking on the door several times with no answer, Emma tried the handle and pushed the door open.

"Will? Is everything okay?" she asked. The teacher jumped at the sound of her voice and the guidance councillor could see the tears welling in his eyes, "what happened?"

"When I got home, Rachel was sitting on the floor crying… god, the last time I saw her like that was when I found her at the school after she was kicked out… She was just so, so… she is worried they are going to take her away," he blurted it all out.

"Where is she now?" Emma asked softly.

"She cried herself to sleep so I put her to bed."

"You're a good father, Will," she told him, "I don't need to tell you that Rachel has been through a lot. She just needs to be reminded that her place is here with you. Especially now that her case is going to court."

"You know, I'm thinking about adopting her… if her fathers loose the court case and parental rights," Will admitted, "What do you think?"

"I think that is a lovely idea and I am sure that her fathers won't win… but I wouldn't tell Rachel your plans until you know whether you can legally file for adoption. She is very attached to you as it is, and that is fine, understandable even… but you don't want to get her hopes up if everything doesn't work out."

Will nodded. He agreed with her. While they had a strong case against her fathers, anything could happen. There was one thing he knew for sure, Rachel was not going back to that house. He took a deep breath, grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her up to her feet.

"I have to make dinner," he explained.

"Why don't you go and watch some TV? These past few months have been rough on you as well as Rachel. Let me make you both dinner tonight," she smiled.

"Thank you Emma, you're amazing," he kissed her gently on the lips.

Emma moved around the kitchen with ease, finding all the things she needed to make a salad and a roast. When she emerged an hour later, she found Will sitting in the exact same spot she had left him.

"Dinner is almost ready," she told him, "is Rachel still asleep?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I should wake her, otherwise she won't sleep at all tonight."

"I'll wake her," Emma smiled, "is that okay?"

"Uh… sure. You know where her room is."

Emma crept down the hall to the teens room. She knocked gently on the door but as she had expected, she got no answer. She looked at Rachel, curled up in a tight ball on her bed. She looked tiny and Emma could see the tear marks down her face.

The guidance councillor sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook Rachel's shoulders. The girl stirred and turned in her sleep to lay on her back. Emma smiled. She hated to wake someone, who obviously needed the sleep. She gently stroked Rachel's hair.

"Rachel, Sweetheart. You need to get up, it's almost dinner time," Emma said softly. Rachel's eyes fluttered open and she rubbed them sleepily. She looked at the woman before her, her dad's girlfriend, sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly.

"Are you okay?" The woman asked. Rachel nodded her head silently. It almost broke Emma's heart to see the girl like this. It was like she had gone back into her little bubble. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Wash your hands and come out when you're ready."

She left the girl to get herself sorted and walked back into the kitchen to find Will setting the table.

"Her walls are back up," Emma said sadly, "but I think she is going to be okay."

Rachel walked into the dinning room and sat down silently in the seat that had been set out for her. Will and Emma watched on in concern as she pushed food around her plate, taking only a few bites before excusing herself and going back to her room. Noah rang a few times that night. Worried that he couldn't get through to Rachel on her cell, he called the house phone.

"She has had a rough day, Puck and she has gone to bed. I'll let her know you called in the morning," Will assured the boy that Rachel was okay before he and Emma retired for the night.

* * *

At school the next day, it didn't go unnoticed that even in her Cheerio's uniform, Rachel had reverted to her quiet self. They were all concerned and asked their teacher but Mr Schue insisted that she just needed some space. Puck was worried and didn't leave her side all day. He even skipped the classes they didn't have together so he could wait out in the hall in case something happened. When she still hadn't spoken to any of them by lunch break, Kurt, Tina and Santana went to visit their teacher again.

"Mr Schue, I know that our assignment is supposed to be a group project but we think it would mean more if we could perform for Rachel rather than with Rachel…" Kurt said, "kind of like a tribute, letting her know we are here for her."

"That is a lovely gesture guys and it is fine with me if you think you can rearrange your item so that it doesn't include Rachel," the teacher smiled.

Santana grabbed Rachel's hand when the final bell rang after school and led the girl towards the choir room. She saw the look of panic pass over Rachel's face at having someone grab her arm.

"Santana… please don't touch me… I can't cope right now," Rachel begged.

Santana took her hand away but spoke up, "I'm not going to hurt you Rach, but we have something we want to give you," she smiled gently and sat the girl down on a chair next to Miss Pillsbury and Coach Beiste in the choir room.

"Rachel, your friends have something they would like to share with you," Mr Schue said, taking his daughters hand and squeezing it gently. Rachel watched as the entire glee club walked in from the office now all dressed in their 'costumes.'

"Now, we know this was supposed to be our group project but we wanted to do something special for you," Kurt smiled at his friend. Rachel looked at Noah with a look of question on her face. He smiled a big goofy smile over at her and moved to his starting position.

_So no one told you life was gonna be this way_

_Your jobs a joke, your broke, your love life's DOA_

_Feels like you're always stuck in second gear_

_When it hasn't been your day, your week_

_Your month, or even your year, but_

_I'll be there for you_

_When the rain starts to fall_

_I'll be there for you_

_Like I've been there before_

_I'll be there for you_

_Cause you were there for me too_

By the end of the song, the tears were falling freely down Rachel's cheeks. She let herself be pulled from her chair and threw her arms around her friends, "Thanks guys, this means a lot to me."

Rachel threw herself into her boyfriends arms, "I'm sorry I've been kind of out of it today."

"We meant what we were singing Rachel. We will be here for anything," Quinn told the girl. Rachel turned in Noah's arms and looked over at her father who was beaming at seeing the smile on Rachel's face.

They all smiled. Rachel's stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the silence. She blushed and looked away, "Daddy? I'm starving!"

The group laughed loudly, "I've been telling you to eat!" Will told the girl, "lets skip the rest of practise and all go to Breadsticks." There were cheers all around.

"but we have only heard one song!" Rachel cried.

To everyone's surprise, it was Coach Beiste who spoke up, "Well, I might not be a singer but I don't think anyone could top that last performance today."

"Coach is right guys, come on… my shout," Will smiled and wrapped his arm around his daughter leading her out to the car.

* * *

The group had fun at Breadsticks. Will stepped down from his role as teacher and instead settled in nicely as Rachel's father as he chatted with the boys and versed Matt in a competition of 'who could scull a glass of soda fastest.'

"I think I'm scarred for life!" Kurt groaned at seeing his teacher win and then kiss his girlfriend gently, "I'm going to need to be in therapy."

"Ugh! People making you talk about feelings- not my idea of fun," Mike said, earning him a kick to the shins from Santana. Knowing that Rachel had to see a therapist every few days, the group looked at her to see how she would react.

"It's not that bad," she replied- unaware of their gazes, taking a long sip from her own soda.

Taking Rachel's rare moment of openness as a good sign, Santana pushed her further, "So it's not like in the movies where the therapist is all like 'and how do you feel about that?' and shit? You know, where they try and get you to talk about stuff you don't want to."

"Not really. I just draw," Rachel shrugged her shoulders, "Doctor Sweets does most of the talking. I talk if I feel like it but otherwise… If I bring something up then we talk about it but he usually doesn't push me to talk."

"You go to this place a few times a week… and you just draw?" Brittany gasped, not really understanding why that was significant.

Rachel nodded, "He's pretty good though," she chuckled, "he somehow manages to get the information he wants from what I do say before I've even realised that's what he was looking for in the first place."

* * *

The following Wednesday, Santana got to see first hand what went on at Rachel's therapy sessions. She was having dinner with the girl and her father, so went home from school with them, but Rachel had an appointment with Doctor Sweets so Santana tagged along. Rachel went straight through to the doctor's office and Santana followed her teacher through to the observation room where they could see into the room but couldn't hear what was being said.

She watched with curiosity as Rachel sat herself down at a table and started drawing. She could see the Doctor's lips moving as he spoke to the girl, drawing himself, but couldn't make out what he was talking to her about. Half an hour passed and the cheerleader hadn't seen Rachel say one word.

"Is she always like this?" she asked her teacher.

Will nodded, "she doesn't say much… it's a bit of a concern," he admitted, "but she is getting better… she at least says a few words now."

Santana's gaze returned to the girl through the glass. The doctor looked at something Rachel had drawn and said something. Rachel's gaze shot up to look at the man and she nodded, murmuring something quietly. She saw the doctor's mouth turn up as he smiled at the tiny teen.

"Rachel's right," Santana chuckled a little, "that man is good… he managed to get something out of a drawing!"

"He's been good for her," the teacher agreed.

* * *

_**Please read and review. I am going to force myself to update sooner!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**AN: Here it is, the long awaited update to Picking Up the Pieces. As those of you who read my other stories might know, I had some trouble with someone re-posting this story as their own. The issue has been sorted, the author has apologised and those of you who were involved in someway have received a message from me explaining the situation. Thank you all for your support, it means the world to me.**_

_**WARNING: This chapter is quite a bit darker than the others. Certain events from Rachel's past are going to be brought up and there is an 'incident'. Please read these with care. They are based on my actual experiences and I really hope I've appropriately portrayed how I felt.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**Ellé xox**_

* * *

The Monday before the court case, Will walked into Principal Figgin's office.

"Um, Rachel's court case is tomorrow," he reminded the man, "I'm gonna keep her home for a few days, this is going to be pretty rough on her," Will explained.

"That is fine, William. You can stay home with her. Make sure she is fine," the Principal smiled. He hadn't had much to do with the situation since the night Will had called him, but he knew they were having up's and down's.

Rachel woke early on Tuesday, the day of the court case when the doorbell rang. Will opened the door to reveal the lawyer from Social Services who had been helping them. He ran through some of the information they would need and explained how the day was going to run.

When they arrived at the courthouse, Rachel was relieved to see Rebekah Puckerman waiting for them. She wrapped her arms around the teen to show her support and pointed behind her to indicate the others who had come to help her today- Principal Figgins, Emma Pillsbury and a few other faculty members. Rachel was the first to admit, she didn't understand most of the legal jargon that was thrown around at the first part of day. Melanie was called up to speak on behalf of Social Services, Doctor Sweets was asked to profile Rachel, Her fathers were questioned and Will was asked how he had been providing for Rachel. It was the first time Rachel had seen her fathers since she had left their house. Finally, it was her turn to speak. Will had been hesitant in allowing Rachel to speak however their lawyers had been adamant that in this unique case it was the best option.

She was asked a number of difficult questions that she tried to answer without getting upset. But when her father's lawyer asked her if, given her history, staying with Will Schuester was what she really wanted, she couldn't help but let it all out.

"How dare you suggest that Will couldn't look after me! Let me tell you all about my 'history'- My fathers were abusive. I was only _seven_ the first time I realised what they were doing was not normal," she cried, "I wasn't old enough to stand up for myself and had no choice but to just grin and bare it and then hide the evidence. My body is covered in countless scars from all of the 'punishments' they dished out over the last fifteen years… scars that will never go away but that I will have to learn to live with. Once I broke a plate when I was doing the dishes, so they beat me and broke my arm. When I was ten, they ordered me to make them a round of coffee's but when I handed over the mugs and they decided the coffee was too hot… this is what happened," Rachel stood from her chair and lifted her shirt high enough to show the burn mark that ran up her side. Several people gasped at the admission. Will himself lifted his hand to his mouth and looked over to the Berry's. Both of them sat staring straight ahead as if she hadn't said anything, "it took them three hours to take me to the emergency room because they wanted to see their basketball game on TV. Meanwhile I was lying on the floor of the basement, where they left me, screaming in pain… when I was asked why I wouldn't play sport at school because it would involve others touching me or how I got the various scars, I had to lie. I fell off the beam at gymnastics or tripped over."

"Do you know how many broken bones I have had?" She asked without waiting for an answer. No one dared interrupt her monologue as the girl sobbed out everything she had been holding in, "I lost count at around 50. My left wrist alone has been broken over 5 times. The last time was just two days after the previous cast was taken off. Up until a few months ago, I would scream if someone brushed passed me. I was the freak who didn't like to be touched. But for the first time, _in my life_, I have friends who try to understand what I am going through and stick up for me," she smiled over at Rebekah.

"So yes… I want to stay with Will, he is the closest thing I will ever have to a dad. He makes sure I am fed, helps me with my homework, encourages me to try new things and keeps me safe. I am his daughter, not just a girl two men decided to adopt because it would make them look good," she turned to look at the judge her eyes pleading with the man, "please don't take me away from him!" she begged. Will's heart almost broke at the sheer look of terror on the girls face at the thought of been taken away from him. She confirmed then and there that she was going to be part of his life permanently.

The judge smiled and told Rachel she could go back to her seat. The court broke for a quick recess while decisions were being made. Rachel didn't leave Will's side, clinging to his arm as he spoke to Melanie and Rebekah. When they were called back into the court room, Rachel wasn't sure what to expect.

The judge took a minute to gather his thoughts, "custody battles are never easy," he exclaimed, "but cases where Social Services are involved they are even more delicate. I have listened to everyone's accounts and considered all pieces of evidence. Mr and Mr Berry, the way you treated your daughter over the duration of her life is nothing less than unacceptable. All your rights as adoptive parents are withdrawn, we will hold a sentencing trial next month and Rachel will continue to be in the care of the state," he turned to Rachel with a sad smile on his face, "I am sure Social Services will do everything in their power to keep you with your 'dad.'"

From his seat next to her, Will nudged Rachel gently, "you did it Kiddo!" he beamed proudly, "you stood up to them and you won… I couldn't be more proud."

Rachel smiled and threw her arms around him to hold him tightly, "thank you."

Rebekah ran quickly up to the pair, "congratulations guys, this is the best outcome anyone could have hoped for! Celebratory drinks?" she asked.

"Thanks Rebekah, but its been a long few days, I think I am just going to take Rachel home… we can celebrate another day. Thank you for all your help. We couldn't have done this without you."

* * *

They both took Wednesday and Thursday off from school to relax after the tough few days. Everyone knew why they were away but they all tried not to make a big deal about it when they returned. They had all been given a recount of the events from Noah after he had been told by his mom. Noah had been shocked to hear Rachel had 'lost her cool' and yelled at the lawyers and had been even more shocked when his mom retold the events from Rachel's past that she had shared.

Things went by pretty normally for the next few days. Rachel had Glee, the Cheerio's, Dancing, Homework and Noah to keep her distracted. Things started to go south the following Friday when she was walking with Kurt, Santana, Quinn and Brittany, out of the school to go for lunch during their free period.

She froze on the spot when she spotted the men leaning against the car. Her actions didn't go unnoticed by her friends standing by her side who all tensed upon looking at the unfamiliar men.

"Rachel, sweetheart, we are here to take you home," the two men told her, "now get in the car… you wouldn't want to cause a scene in front of your friends now, would you?" the tall man whispered harshly in her ear taking her arm and roughly pulling her towards the car.

"No sir," she muttered, falling back into her old habit out of pure fear.

"What the…? Get your hands off her!" Kurt yelled loudly, seeing Rachel flinch and cower away from the men. Santana, realising what was going on, snuck back into the school building yelling at the receptionist to call for the police before she took off to find Mr Schue.

"Mr Schue… you have to come quick!" she stormed into the staff room, "The Berry's are outside and they are trying to force Rachel to go with them."

Will jumped out of his seat quickly and ran outside. Several other teachers, including Emma, Coach Sylvester and Principal Figgins were quick to follow. They burst through the front doors of the school in time to see the taller of the Berry men, Eli, roughly push Rachel up against the car. She screamed out in agony as her arm was twisted in the wrong direction. The others, due to their size, were no match for the men and all they could do was watch as the reality of just how abusive Rachel's fathers had been was right in front of them.

"You need to tell them that what you said in the court room was not true!" Eli shouted at Rachel, "You are going to ruin our lives even more than you already have!"

"How dare you say that!" Sue uncharacteristically yelled, sticking up for the girl as the mob of teachers arrived and surrounded the group, "You were lucky enough to have been allowed to adopt and you threw it all away."

"Let her go!" Will yelled walking right up to the men and staring them down, "You are not allowed to be anywhere near her… the police are on their way… and I won't let you get away with this." As if they had perfect timing, two police cars pulled into the parking lot with their sirens blaring. The officers quickly pushed their way to the front of the crowd.

Eli angrily threw Rachel to the ground where she screamed again as her battered body roughly hit the concrete. Santana and the guidance councillor rushed to her side while Will continued to stare at the men until he was pushed aside by the cops. He didn't move again until both of the Berry's were handcuffed and driven away.

"Oh Rachel," he rushed to her side.

"I think her shoulder is dislocated, her wrist doesn't look good and she might have a few broken ribs," Emma said while she and Santana kept trying to sooth the teen.

"Let's get you to the hospital, Kiddo," he gently picked Rachel up, trying not to jostle her around or cause any more injuries. She let out a little whimper as her body was moved. Will had a silent conversation with Figgins, who nodded his permission and stepped aside to allow the man to take his daughter to get the immediate medical attention she needed. He mouthed a 'thank you' to the cheerleading coach as he walked past her. She nodded her head in silent reply.

The teens who had witnessed the whole ordeal were obviously very distressed at what they had seen. Quinn and Brittany were crying, Kurt just sat and stared at the ground while Santana was pacing. Miss Pillsbury took them aside and tried to calm them all down. Suddenly Santana stopped her pacing, "shit! Someone has to tell Puck! He is going to go mental!"

"It's alright Santana," Emma tried to calmly tell her, "I will tell him, but I need to make sure you are all okay first… were any of you hurt physically?" she asked. All four teens shook their heads. After having them each discuss what they had seen, she left them in the capable hands of their parents, who had been phoned to collect them early and had the incident explained to them, and then she left to go find Puck.

She knocked on his Geometry class door and whispered to the teacher.

"Puck, can I see you in the hall please," she told him, "you might want to bring your bag."

Noah could tell straight away that whatever she had to say was not going to be good, "Puck… there was an incident earlier today, during Rachel's free period…" she tried to explain steadily, "Rachel's fathers showed up at the school and caused a scene…"

"What!" he cried angrily, knowing all his peers in the classroom would have heard him, "they aren't allowed near her! Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She is at the hospital with Will. I think she is going to be okay but they hurt her pretty badly," before she could finish speaking Puck moved to leave, "…Puck! I know you want to go and see her but I have called your mom to come and get you… you shouldn't be driving right now."

He reluctantly agreed and waited for his mom to arrive.

* * *

At the hospital, Rachel had had x-rays taken. Her left shoulder was indeed dislocated and had to be put back into place. Will held her free hand and wiped away her tears while the doctors forcefully put her shoulder back, almost crying himself when he heard her cry out in pain. Her left wrist was broken and she had a number of bruises around her chest, back and head from being shoved around. The doctors had insisted on keeping her overnight to make sure nothing would go wrong. Two police officers had come to take statements from the pair and as they were leaving Noah and his mom walked into the room.

"Babe! Are you okay?" Noah rushed to her side, seeing the cast on her arm and the sling that held her shoulder in place.

Rachel nodded sadly before she turned to look at her dad, "please tell me they can't come back now," she whispered, "They are going to go to jail, right?"

"They aren't coming back Baby Girl," Will assured her, kissing her forehead. That seemed to be enough of a reassurance to Rachel and she drifted off into a much needed, pain medication induced sleep. Rebekah almost had to forcibly pull Noah from Rachel's room when public visiting hours were over and Social Services arrived to document the incident.

* * *

When Marissa Lopez arrived at the school to pick up her daughter she was shocked with the state Santana was in. She had never seen her daughter this distraught. The guidance councillor had given her a basic explanation as to what had occurred- Santana and her friends had been witness to a fellow student being beaten up. But Marissa was confused, it was not the first time Santana had witnessed a school yard fight. She wanted to know why this particular incident had affected her daughter more then others had.

"What happened Tana?" the woman asked when they walked in the door of their home. Santana burst into tears.

"You know my friend Rachel?" she asked her mom.

"Your music teacher's daughter? Yes I remember her…" the woman was beginning to get an idea where this story was going.

"Mr Schue is Rachel's foster dad," Santana hiccupped, "her parents were very abusive. Social Services took them to court last week and they lost… We were just going out for lunch!" the girl started to get emotional again, "I knew something wasn't right… Rachel just froze up and then they started yelling and pushing her around… I just ran to get Mr Schue. I didn't know what to do. God! Sound her body made when they threw her to the ground… She just screamed…"

"Oh sweetie! You did the right thing," Marissa calmed her daughter, taking her into her arms and rocking her, "You are a good friend to that girl."

"But I haven't always been," Santana admitted, "I used to be so mean to her."

"You have stopped all that nonsense now though. I've seen you with her. She is comfortable around you," the woman tried to convince her daughter, "you have made up for the bad things you have done and you need to continue being the good friend that you are."

* * *

Rachel was home for the weekend but went back to school on Monday. She had been having nightmares at night again. Will had woken to her screams several times, quickly going into her room to hold her until she fell asleep again. The first night Emma had stayed over after the incident she had sat up in a panic hearing Rachel scream.

"It's okay," Will reassured the woman, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Two hours later, the couple were woken again. Wordlessly, Will headed off down the hall for Rachel's room. Emma followed him down the hall. She watched from the doorway as he sat on the bed and pulled his daughter close.

"It's okay Baby Girl," he whispered, "you're safe now. I've got you." He rocked the girl until she fell back asleep before they climbed back into bed.

"You're amazing with her," Emma said, placing a kiss on his chest as she curled into his side, "how long has this been going on?"

"Just since Friday," he replied, "this is what she was like when she first got here. Hopefully, like last time, once everything calms down, they will stop."

When they were woken for a third time they both walked down the hall. Once Rachel was asleep again, Will looked up at Emma, "Sorry… I'm going to stay in here tonight," he whispered.

"Don't apologise," Emma insisted, "she's your daughter. She comes first."

* * *

When Rachel woke on Sunday morning, she felt her dad's hand resting on her head. Although she rarely remembered actually waking up at night, she knew why he was there. She tried not to let herself get upset by it all but it was hard knowing her 'fathers' still held this power over her. Rachel untangled herself from Will's grasp and wandered out to the kitchen where Emma was cooking.

"I'm sorry I stole daddy from you last night," she murmured.

"Don't be sorry, Rachel," Emma gave her a smile, "You're his daughter, you are always going to come first… I know that and I'm okay with it. That's how it should be."

"I still don't like it," Rachel replied, "… how many times did I wake up?"

"Three times that I know of… I didn't hear you after that," Emma explained to the worried teen, "don't let it bother you, Rachel… you are so much better than them."

Rachel sat down at the table and poured herself a glass of juice and took her pain medications while she waited for her dad to wake up. When he did, he walked straight over to her and took her face in his hand, "you okay, Kiddo?" he asked.

She nodded her head slightly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't you ever… _ever_ apologise to me for that," he whispered, gently kissing her forehead "it's not your fault."

The remaining glee clubbers knew something had happened on Friday but because Mr Schuester, Rachel, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Kurt and Puck were sent home, they hadn't been told what.

* * *

"Oh my god! Rachel! What happened?" Tina exclaimed as Rachel walked down the hall in her Cheerio's uniform with her arm in a sling and a bright purple cast on her wrist. Mercedes went to touch the cast but Rachel jerked herself away. Knowing she was still testy around them, no one made a big deal about the action.

Rachel looked away. She didn't want to avoid talking to them but it was difficult to voice how she felt about the incident. Luckily, Santana saved her from having to answer.

"Leave it guys, we can talk about it later," She warned.

"s'okay Santana, I'm gonna go to my dad's office for a while… you can tell them," Rachel whispered and walked back off down the hall, opened the door to her dad's office and sat down in the corner, staring straight ahead, until Noah came and got her later.

Everyone stared at Santana waiting for her to explain. Those who were there, shifted uncomfortably at the thought of reliving the horrible event.

"Uh, well… It's not a nice story guys…" she warned them, "… Rachel's fathers, turned up at the school on Friday. They uh… cornered us and tried to force her to go with them. They dislocated her shoulder, broke her wrist and threw her to the ground right in front of us… Coach Sylvester and Mr Schue stopped them until the police got here."

The group gasped in horror at hearing the story. As much as they wanted to talk to Rachel about everything that had happened, they were at a loss for words. Although a small group of them had now witnessed what the men were capable of they would never be able to comprehend what Rachel went through at the hand of her fathers.

* * *

When Rachel went to see Doctor Sweets on Wednesday, she sat down on one of the couches instead of her usual spot at the table.

"I think I'm ready to talk about it now," she said quietly. The man smiled sympathetically at her. He had heard from her social workers about the incident at school.

"Where would you like to start?" he said gently.

Rachel put on a brave face as she told her story, answering the doctors questions as best she could.

"I was never part of that family," she whispered when she had finished, "I don't think a child should be scared of their parents… Even though, I knew some of the things I did would cause them to get angry, I don't think that any of their punishments were fair."

"No Rachel, they weren't fair. That never should have happened to you," the doctor reinforced, "It's good that you are recognising that now… Your dad was saying you have made lots of new friends and a boyfriend," he asked with a smile, helping the girl move on to a lighter topic.

"The others in Glee club have been fantastic, especially Santana and Noah is just… amazing," she smiled back.

"Well I look forward to meeting them all one day."

* * *

Will helped Rachel carry her book bag inside after therapy. He collected the mail and carried it inside handing Rachel an envelope addressed to her from the school. Rachel stared at the front of the envelope that just held the monthly newsletter- at her name printed neatly on the front. She took a pen from her bag and angrily crossed out her surname, tears welling up in her eyes as she did.

"What are you doing?" Will asked her.

"I don't want to be a Berry anymore… I don't want to have any connection to them. I can just be Rachel," she yelled, throwing the envelope down onto the table. Will calmly took the pen from her hand, quickly wrote something down on the envelope and handed it back. Over the last few weeks he had learnt how to handle an emotional Rachel.

Rachel looked at what he had written and glanced back at him. Where Berry had been crossed out, he had written in 'Schuester.'

"… or you could become a Schuester."

Her eyes widened. So the teacher continued, "I wasn't going to talk to you about this until after Christmas but… I was looking into adoption the other day, and… I know you already call me dad but if you wanted to legally become a Schuester… I would be honoured to officially be your dad." Will was kind of nervous to talk to her about this, "I have already spoken to Social Services about it… since I am already your legal guardian, the process is not difficult, but could take a few months if we encounter any road blocks."

"Are you serious?" Rachel questioned. Will nodded and shifted nervously at her silence. She awkwardly threw herself at him as best she could with her arm hanging in a sling, "I would really like that."

* * *

Wednesday night they went to the Puckerman house for an end of Hanukkah celebration. With all the events of the last few months, Rachel had forgotten about Hanukkah and felt guilty when Rebekah handed her a small gift.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything," Rachel blushed. She had never received a gift for the end of Hanukkah before.

"Nonsense, I didn't expect anything… just promise you will keep coming over and letting me know how you're going," the woman smiled, "now open your gift."

Rachel did as she was instructed and smiled at the beautiful silver bracelet she had been given.

* * *

_**I wanted to end on a happier note. So, several people have been asking me about when I'm going to bring Shelby into this. I have written it, but I didn't have a place for it until a few other issues were sorted through. Please be patient, this story isn't near being finished yet and you can rest assured Shelby will be in it. **_

_**Anyone want to try and break a record for the most reviews for a chapter? LOL. Please review!  
**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**AN: Hi all, I'm away for a week or so from tomorrow so I'm trying to update all my stories (that's the plan anyway) before I go. This is the longest chapter of Picking Up The Pieces I've posted since I first started this story and is mostly a lot lighter than last chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Glee.**_

_**Last chapter got an overwhelming response, I was so so so glad that you all responded to it in the way I had hoped. I think for the most part, you have all realised that there are some things from my past that I have to deal with. Let me reassure you, while I don't talk about them very often and I do use them for inspiration for this story, they are not as extreme as what Rachel goes through but they were certainly hard enough for me at the time. But they are in my past and the past is the past… I've moved on, and I want Rachel to start to as well.**_

_**Enjoy this chapter =)**_

* * *

After dinner Rachel and Will were sitting on the couch at their house watching TV. When the ad break started, he muted the sound and turned to Rachel with a grin on his face.

"So, it's your birthday Saturday, December 18th right?… what do you want to do?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied confused.

"We have some very specific Schuester family traditions for birthdays. Starting with the birthday person choosing anything they want for breakfast. I'm assuming you'll want to spend time with Noah but do you want to have your friends over for a party or something?"

"We are going to celebrate my birthday?" her eyes widened.

"Of course! Birthdays are the only day of the year where you can order people around without feeling guilty… everyone needs to celebrate their birthday…" he laughed, knowing that Rachel had probably never celebrated her birthday with other people before.

"I haven't had a birthday before. I had to look for my adoption papers when I was ten to find out when my birthday was," Rachel admitted. Will tried to hide his disgust. What kind of person didn't acknowledge their child's birthday?

"Well, we have fifteen years worth of birthdays to make up for. So here's what I was thinking; Breakfast of your choice in the morning, we can invite the Puckerman's over to join us, your grandparents want to come over for lunch and then you could have your friends from school over for dinner and a 'party'… what do you think?"

Rachel thought for a second before shyly asking him, "… can we have pancakes?"

"Absolutely," he smiled at her, "Do you know what time you were born?"

Rachel shook her head, "… why?"

"No reason."

* * *

Rachel had happily written invites to her birthday out for her friends in Glee. They had all accepted the invitation with much excitement as they gossiped.

Will crept into Rachel's room at exactly four thirty-two on Saturday morning. He sat down on her bed and shook her awake.

"What's wrong?" she rubbed her eyes.

"Nothing is wrong… happy birthday!" he grinned at her, lying down and sharing her pillow. She turned onto her side and looked at him with a confused look on her face so he continued, "… When I was growing up, my parents would come into my bedroom at exactly 3.46 in the morning on my birthday, wake me up to say happy birthday and tell me the story of the morning I was born at the exact time I was born… I asked Social Services to track down your birth certificate and while they couldn't give me a copy yet, they did tell me what time you were born… You were born at 4.32am… Now I don't know your story, but I can wish you a happy birthday."

Rachel smiled at him. He kissed her forehead and stood, "go back to sleep… Happy Birthday, Kiddo."

The next time Rachel woke was to her alarm at eight. She got up, showered and walked into the kitchen after getting herself dressed. The Puckerman's would be there at 9.00 and Rachel was pretty sure Emma would already be there. She was excited about being able to spend time with Noah, she hadn't had much free time since the court case started.

"Good Morning Rachel!" Emma smiled as the girl walked into the room, "Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you," she said accepting the glass of juice her dad handed her.

"Happy Birthday again Rachel," he smiled and pulled her towards the lounge room, "lets do presents before our guests get here."

"Presents? You didn't have to get me anything. You have done more than enough for me this year," Rachel told him.

"Nonsense! It's your birthday and as your father it is my duty to spoil you rotten," he smiled. Emma sat down next to him and handed him a pile of neatly wrapped presents before handing Rachel a large parcel from her.

Rachel unwrapped the gift and beamed at the pink overnight bag she had been given. She opened it up to find a matching make-up case inside, "Thank you!" she said sincerely, standing to hug the woman who pushed past her uncomfortableness to accept the hug.

Will handed over a number of small packages which she unwrapped to find clothes, chocolates and a few stationary items. She once again, thanked him and reminded him that he didn't need to get her anything.

"Hold on, there is one more," he grinned and passed her a large heavy box, "now no arguing when you open this… it's yours."

Rachel looked at him confused and slowly pulled the paper off. Her eyes widened when she realised what the box held; a brand new laptop computer. Never, had anyone brought her something so valuable. It had taken her months to save up enough money to buy an iPod when she was at her father's house and even then she had to use other people's computers to put music on it.

"Artie assures me that it will be perfect for what you need it to do," he told her.

Rachel stared between the gift and her dad before throwing herself at him, "I love you." She told him before pulling back in a panic when she realised what she had said.

He smiled and laughed at her, "love you too, Kiddo… now you go 'play' with your presents while we finish cooking breakfast."

Rachel took her gifts to her bedroom and sat her new computer on her desk. By the time she finished setting it up and putting her other gifts away, the doorbell rang.

"Rachel! Can you get the door?" Will called down the hall. Rachel rushed to the door knowing it would be Noah and his family.

"Happy Birthday Rachel!" Hannah said as she handed Rachel a gift, "this is from Mom and Me!"

Rebekah hugged the girl and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, Hannah chose your gift. I couldn't talk her out of it," she laughed, "Happy Birthday."

Noah greeted her last, wrapping his arms around her waist and lowering his lips to hers, "Happy birthday, Babe… I've missed you!"

"Thank you Noah! I've missed you too," she stood on her toes to lean up to kiss him again.

"After breakfast, you two!" Rebekah laughed and walked off to join the adults in the kitchen.

Hannah dragged Rachel to the living room to unwrap her gift- A big, soft, pink teddy bear.

"Thank you Hannah! It will be perfect in my bedroom," she thanked the young girl and smiled at Rebekah standing in the doorway, "Why don't you go put it in my room," she suggested.

Hannah ran off to do as she was instructed and Rebekah stepped back into the kitchen, leaving Rachel and Noah alone. Noah pulled out a long thin box from his pocket.

"Happy Birthday, Rachel," he whispered. Rachel smiled and lifted the lid off the small box to reveal a silver necklace with the number 20 hanging off it- His football number.

"Oh Noah, it's beautiful. Thank you," she hugged him close.

"You're amazing," he told her, "You know that, right?"

"Thank you," she blushed and lent into him comfortably.

The group ate their pancakes in casual conversation, laughing at Rachel's difficulty in using cutlery with her arm in a cast. Eventually she just gave up and picked up the pancakes with her free hand, earning more laughs from their guests. Her boyfriend took pity on her and cut up her breakfast into smaller portions she could handle a bit easier. When Noah left with his family at 10.30, Rachel didn't think her day could get any better. Emma had left shortly after the Puckerman's and Rachel and Will climbed into his car to go grocery shopping.

Rachel was pushing the trolley as Will grabbed the required items off the shelves. Rachel froze when she spotted the blonde woman at the end of the aisle. Will turned to see what she was looking at.

"Terri… Hi," he said. Rachel could feel the woman stare between her and her dad.

"Rachel can you go and get some milk please," Will asked her.

"She's a bit young for you, isn't she," Terri said when the girl had left.

"She is my daughter, Terri," Will explained. When the woman looked at him with confusion written all over her face, he gently explained the whole situation- Right down to the plans to officially adopt Rachel.

"Oh… is she okay?"

"… She has had a real rough time. Today is her birthday and so far, amazingly, we have had no dramas so please don't mess this up for her," he warned his ex-wife as Rachel came back to join them.

"Your uh… dad says it's your birthday today. Happy Birthday," Terri smiled, "how old are you now?"

Rachel looked over at Will who nodded that it was okay for her to speak to Terri, "sixteen... thank you."

"Sixteen, huh? I remember getting this pearl necklace for my sixteenth from my mother…" she showed Rachel the necklace in an attempt to hold casual conversation.

Rachel smiled, "Dad gave me a computer."

"Wow! It seems Will has made some improvements in the gift shopping department," Terri joked, not even phased by the teen calling her ex-husband dad.

"I had some help," Will explained.

"Well, I better go. It was nice to see you again Will, Rachel… Have a happy birthday," the woman said before she left to head towards the checkouts.

"That was weird," Rachel muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, she can be a nice person," he smiled, "just a little… crazy," he searched for the right word. Rachel laughed at the truth. The pair got all the required equipment for the birthday lunch and dinner and made their way home.

* * *

Julie and Joe waltzed into the house when Will held the door open for them.

"Where is the birthday girl?" Julie squealed as she pushed past her son.

"Hi Mom, Dad… Good to see you too. I'm well, thanks for asking," Will sarcastically replied.

"Oh hush you. Where is she?"

"Rachel! Your grandparents are here," he yelled down the hall before muttering under his breath, "and apparently they care more about you than me now!" he joked leading his parents into the dinning room.

Rachel came into the room and his parent's attention moved to her, fussing over her injuries.

"Happy Birthday, Rachel!" Julie pulled the girl in for a massive hug, "How is your arm?" Will had told his parents what had happened on Friday when they had had to miss dinner because Rachel had been in hospital.

"It will be fine, thank you," Rachel said politely.

"Give her time to breathe, Jules! I want to say happy birthday too!" Joe stepped in and kissed his granddaughters cheek, "Happy Birthday, dear," he said handing her a gift bag and a card, "this is just a little something from your grandma and I to make up the birthdays we have missed."

"You didn't need to get me anything," Rachel told them.

"Of course we did! You're our first grand daughter… we have a right to spoil you," Joe smiled and urged her to open the gift first. She smiled when she saw three DVD's. West Side Story, Rent and Singing in the Rain.

"Your dad said you like musicals. Singing in the Rain was his favourite when he was your age… I'm sure he has a copy of it lying around here somewhere but we thought you might like your own," Julie smiled.

Rachel opened the card next and jumped when a hundred dollar bill fell into her lap.

"That is for you to treat yourself to something special," they told her, "or maybe take that boy of yours out for dinner." Rachel thanked them countless times and they sat down to a comfortable lunch.

"This is delicious, William did you make this?" Julie asked about the pasta dish she was eating.

"Uh no…" he replied awkwardly. He hadn't told his parents about his new girlfriend yet.

"Emma made it this morning before she left," Rachel said obliviously, taking another bite from her bowl and not noticing the warning look on her fathers face.

"Who is Emma, dear?" Julie asked, not addressing the question to either one specifically.

"Daddy's girlfriend," Rachel replied without looking up.

"Rachel!" Will shrieked.

"What!" she jumped and dropped her fork at the tone in his voice and panicked, "Oops! Was it supposed to be a secret? Sorry… I didn't mean to."

"No, it wasn't supposed to be a secret… I just hadn't told them yet," He smiled, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled."

"Since when have you had a new girlfriend, Will?" His mother interrogated him, "and why isn't she here for Rachel's birthday?"

"Uh, I don't know, a couple of months now… and she had breakfast with us for Rachel's birthday and she is coming back to help with her party tonight," Will explained.

"She doesn't mind that you have a daughter, does she?" Joe asked.

"Not at all! Emma has known Rachel for as long as I have. She is the guidance councillor at school."

"Well I can't wait to meet her. You need to bring her on Christmas day," Julie ordered. Rachel's head shot up at the mention of Christmas. She had never celebrated Christmas before but knew that it was her dad's favourite holiday.

"I know she is going to see her mom for Christmas lunch but maybe she can come later," Will compromised.

"What is happening on Christmas day?" Rachel asked.

"We are having lunch with the family at our house. You will meet some of your cousins," Joe explained.

"I have cousins? I thought you didn't have any brothers and sisters," Rachel asked her dad. She was confused.

"I don't, but my aunties and uncles have kids, my cousins, and they have kids. So I guess they are your second or third cousins or something. They are younger than you though," Will told her. Rachel didn't seem to mind. She beamed at the thought of having extended family.

"… and we can finally show off our beautiful grand-daughter to our brothers and sisters. Your great grandmother will be there too," Julie smiled.

Julie and Joe left, making Rachel promise to call them in the morning and let them know how her birthday party went. Rachel helped will tidy up the house ready for her friends before running off to her room. She still had four hours to kill before her friends would arrive so she decided to spend it finishing her homework.

* * *

Will answered the house phone when it rang.

"Hi Mr Schue, It's Santana," the cheerleader chirped from her end of the line.

"Santana… how did you get this number?" Will asked suspiciously. He was still a little shaken from the conversation with his parents.

"You gave it to me, the night of Rachel's first football game… remember?" Santana laughed, "Is Rachel free to talk?"

"Oh I guess I did… I forgot about that, and yeah, I'll put her on."

Santana could hear the teacher walk through his house and knock on Rachel's door.

"Rachel! It's your birthday… stop doing homework!" She heard him lecture her through the phone. He explained it was her on the phone and before Santana knew it Rachel's voice was coming through the line.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Hi Rach! Happy Birthday!" Santana said in a sing song voice, "and your dad is right… stop doing homework."

"Thanks… is everything okay?" Rachel replied, wondering why the most popular girl in school was ringing her. The friendship thing was still pretty new to Rachel. She had never had friends ring up, just to chat before.

"Everything is fine… I'm just, like, mega-bored and I thought I would see what you are up to for your birthday," She explained.

"Oh… okay," Rachel said before lapsing back into silence.

"You really don't do this small talk thing, do you?" Santana laughed, "Can I come over? I'll help you get ready or some shit."

"Sorry, I'm still kind of new to this… but you can come over, Daddy won't mind. He is still sulking in the kitchen after lunch with his parents," Rachel chuckled.

"Okay so I totally want to hear that story but it can wait until I get there… ill be there in twenty," Santana hung up, leaving Rachel looking at the phone in confusion. She took the phone back out into the kitchen.

"Uh, Santana is on her way over. I hope that's okay, she has a way with words and kinda invited herself," Rachel told her dad.

"That's fine Kiddo, but you will both need to help get things ready for the party," Will smiled, knowing what Santana could be like.

* * *

When Santana arrived, Will had them make a couple of bowls of salads. Rachel had suggested pizza for dinner, but he had insisted that they have something healthier on the menu as well. He had of course organised a cake for her as well, but she didn't know about that yet.

With everything ready for the party, Santana and Rachel gathered in Rachel's room, "Alright, show me what you are planning to wear tonight," she indicated towards the girls' wardrobe.

"Oh, well… I guess I hadn't really thought about it yet," Rachel admitted, opening the cupboard doors for Santana to see in.

"Holy fuck, Rachel! Where did you get all of these clothes and why have you been hiding them all?" Santana searched through the racks, holding items up to herself and looking in Rachel's mirror.

"Some of them I brought from the second hand store with money I found at my fathers house. Some of them were given to me by a friend from dance… I had to sneak those in. A few of them I brought on a recent shopping trip with Kurt using my allowance but most Dad and Emma brought me after I moved here," Rachel explained. She knew it was pointless hiding how difficult it had been to get new clothes when she lived with the Berry's from Santana. The girl had seen first hand what they were capable of.

Santana looked at Rachel. She was glad Rachel felt comfortable telling her about her past. She knew that it was not a privilege the girl gave to just anyone but she knew she probably shouldn't dwell on the issue, "well that explains the where but it doesn't explain why you never wear any of them to school."

Rachel though for a moment about the best way to explain it to Santana, "When you get up in the morning and decide what to wear out… and I mean apart from the Cheerio's uniform… what do you think about?"

"What looks good," Santana answered slowly. She was confused.

"Right… and you had the advantage of being able to buy clothes that looked good. The clothes people give away, they usually give away for a reason… You would not believe the number of days I had to have off school because I couldn't find something appropriate to wear. Let me show you something," Rachel searched through her wardrobe and pulled out a top, she stood behind her cupboard door to change before stepping out so Santana could see. The Latina girl understood the second she saw Rachel.

The top Rachel had pulled on was just an ordinary shoe-string strapped t-shirt, not too form fitting and a little short. Peeking out from the hem of the shirt, Santana could see scars and bruises across the girls back, stomach and side and the fractured wrist in the bright purple cast. Then of course there were the scars on her chest and arms that were visible as well.

"These clothes might be fine around here but not when I leave the house. I had to choose clothes from the limited selection at second hand stores that covered them up and not only that… They might not hurt anymore, but the certainly did at the time. Tight clothing was uncomfortable and sometimes just made it worse… you have to understand, nobody knew about this… I couldn't let anyone find out," Rachel practically pleaded with the girl for her to understand.

"But Dad brought me new clothes when he realised I didn't have much. Those things are too special to me for me to risk having them destroyed by slushies. I've only just recently realised I don't need to worry about that anymore. Besides, I wear a uniform to school now."

Santana nodded to show she understood what Rachel was trying to explain, "uh… can I see them?" she asked hesitantly, "I mean… I know I have seen them before but… you don't have to show me if you don't want too…"

Rachel was uncertain for a second. She rarely showed anyone her scars, not even Noah or Will had seen them properly. She timidly lifted the shirt over her head so she was standing in just her bra and jeans. She could feel Santana's eyes roam over her body, taking note of the hundreds of marks across her. She didn't say anything, but eventually Santana's eyes met hers and she smiled gently.

"They look worse at the moment because of the bruises. When the bruises fade you can only just see the scars… except for the burn… that won't ever fade," Rachel said quietly.

"Rachel… what I saw with the Berry's the other week… I don't know how you did it for so long…" Santana admitted quietly, "I mean, you never told us what happened there… you didn't need to, we all could guess… But what we saw… was just, so terrifying. You are so much braver than you give yourself credit for. You shouldn't have had to deal with any of that."

Rachel shifted somewhat awkwardly and looked away.

"Can I ask you something?" Santana said hesitantly. Rachel seemed nervous but nodded her head to let the girl speak. She had a feeling she knew what Santana was going to ask, "Why did you put up with it for so long? Why didn't you get out sooner?"

Rachel paused to really think about how to respond, "Where was I going to go?" she asked, "I didn't have family or friends that I could stay with… plus… I didn't know any different," she paused for quite a while trying to get her head around it all, "I mean, I worked out when I was about eight that what they were doing wasn't normal but they were the only parents I knew. If I ran away, they just would have found me and brought me back… it would have just made things worse… You know, when I was a kid, just as I was working things out, I made a comment to my teacher about having to make dinner and clean the house… she called my parents in for a meeting and the next day, they transferred me to a new school… I didn't have a way out. Every time someone came close to figuring out the truth, the Berry's moved me… by the time I got to high school I was good enough at hiding it all so I didn't have to move anymore." She let out a breath, surprised she had blurted that all out to Santana when she hadn't really even said all of that to her psychologist.

Santana nodded and they stayed quiet for a little while, "Well now, lets find you an outfit that you feel comfortable in that is going to blow Puck away. I noticed you are wearing his number around your neck," the cheerleader teased.

Rachel was glad for the change in topic, "yes, it was his birthday gift to me," she explained gently holding the pendant in her hand.

"Keep the jeans on," Santana instructed, indicating to the skinny leg jeans Rachel was wearing, "they make your legs look longer and show off that smoking hot body of yours."

"I'm not sure whether to be flattered or uncomfortable," Rachel murmured but Santana wasn't listening, she was rummaging through Rachel's clothing to find the 'perfect' top to match. Eventually she emerged holding up a white and green top. It was loose fitting, slightly tighter around the chest, with capped sleeves. It was mostly white, but around the hem line there was a green butterfly and leaf pattern. Rachel pulled it on and Santana helped the injured girl do up the buttons.

The Latina girl grinned and nodded her approval before turning back to pull out a pair of white ballet flats. By the time Santana had finished with Rachel, her guests would be arriving within the hour and her hair and make-up had been done.

"Okay, so what's the deal with your dad sulking around?" Santana asked, "he was acting really odd when I rang earlier too."

"I kinda outed him and Emma to his parents… I didn't realise they hadn't told anyone they were dating," Rachel blushed.

"Ha! Please! Anyone who has been in the same room as them for more than two minutes knows they are dating… he's not angry, is he?" Santana looked concerned for a minute. Rachel shook her head.

"No… he was just put on the spot… it's kinda fun to tease him," She joked, "you should have heard Grandma interrogate him. It was hilarious."

They giggled their way out to the living room where the saw Emma had arrived and was helping Will setting up a table with drinks and party food.

Rachel smiled politely at her dad's girlfriend, who blushed. Rachel assumed it was because Will had explained the events that transpired at lunch.

"Sorry I outed you guys at lunch," she apologised.

"It's okay Rachel, you saved me from finding an appropriate time to bring it up… You look lovely, Kiddo," he pulled his camera out of its case and took a few photos of Rachel with her friend. Santana took the camera off him and pushed him towards Rachel.

"You have to have the traditional father-daughter birthday photos taken," she instructed, Santana snapped a few more photos before the doorbell rang. Rachel looked at the clock. Seeing it was still early, she knew it would be Noah and bounced off down the hall to greet him.

Noah's jaw dropped when Rachel opened the door.

"What's wrong?" Rachel's brow furrowed.

"Nothing… but babe, you look amazing!" He smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her soundly.

"Thank you," she beamed, holding him tightly, "Santana dressed me."

"Lopez is here already?" he was shocked.

"Yeah she has been here for a few hours… she helped us set up," Rachel pulled him towards the living room. He greeted her family and Santana before pulling a small package out of his pocket.

"Happy Birthday, Rach," he whispered.

"But you already gave me a gift, Noah," she gasped at him. The others left the room to give the couple a few minutes of privacy before everyone else arrived.

"and I got you something else," he urged her to open the small box. Rachel hesitated but pulled the ribbon off and lifted the lid.

"Oh Noah! They are gorgeous," she hugged him tightly. Inside the small box were a pair of earrings with a small blue stone in each, "Thank you."

"You deserve them, Babe," he kissed her temple. Rachel smiled up at him.

Half an hour later, all the remaining glee clubbers had arrived were sitting in the living room chatting excitedly with Rachel about her birthday.

"How has your birthday been so far?" Mercedes asked.

Rachel beamed, "amazing… it has been the best."

"So, what presents have you been given?" Artie grinned at her knowingly. The boy had been honoured when his teacher had approached him for help getting his daughter's birthday present.

"Emma gave me a cool overnight bag, Noah's family gave me a bear, Noah gave me this necklace," she showed them, "and a beautiful pair of earrings, my grandparents gave me some DVD's and money and dad got me some clothes, stuff for school and a new computer."

They gossiped, ate pizza and listened to music all night. Rachel was surprised that there were no awkward moments like she had expected where people were unsure whether they should be there or not. Rachel sat comfortably in Noah's lap while she watched the football boys, Kurt, Brittany and Tina try to teach Santana, Quinn and Mercedes the single ladies dance. She was still a little too sore to be dancing around madly like they were and Noah had chosen to keep her company, telling her he would 'teach it to her' later.

At some point during the evening, someone had asked Will for a sharpie and they were taking it in turns to write on Rachel's cast. After a while, the purple covered plaster was dotted with dozens of messages, names and silly drawings. Rachel admired their work with a smile that warmed Will's heart. He was relieved to see her so happy and relaxed after the stress of the last few weeks.

Next, Santana declared it present time. They all gathered round to watch Rachel open her gifts. She was absolutely overwhelmed by their generosity. By the time all the gifts were open, Rachel had received a number of music vouchers from Matt and Mike, new things for school from Brittany, clothing from Kurt and Mercedes. Artie and Tina had brought her a software program for her new computer that would allow her to record and mix music. Quinn gave her a hair straighter, claiming Kurt insisted she needed her own. Finn had filled a vase full with lollies and chocolates. But her favourite gift of them all, was the collection of photo frames from Santana. The Cheerleader had taken the time to collect photos to fill all of them. She had photos of the glee club performing, pictures of Rachel and Noah and even a picture of Rachel with her dad.

"Thank you guys, this was very thoughtful," Rachel tried not to cry.

Emma tapped Will on the shoulder while he stood in the doorway watching Rachel laugh with her friends, to let him know the cake was ready. He returned to the living room instructing all the teens to sit down before leaving to collect the cake from the kitchen bench top. As soon as he entered the room carrying the cake with the candles lit, the group began to sing Happy Birthday. Emma stood in the doorway taking photos of the scene. Rachel's cheeks flushed red at the attention but she obediently blew out the candles like she had seen in the movies.

Someone handed her a knife and she held it to the cake.

"Be careful not to hit the bottom," Quinn joked, "or you have to kiss the nearest person."

Noah came to sit right up behind her. He reached around and put his hand on top of hers on the knife and pushed downwards, purposely making it hit the bottom.

"Oops! I guess you need to kiss me," he said with a goofy grin his face, before leaning over and crashing his lips to Rachel's. Everyone laughed at the typical 'Puck' exchange.

The rest of Rachel's birthday went by in a flash, before he knew it, Will was carrying the sleeping girl to her room and climbing into bed next to Emma.

"I think that went well, don't you?" he whispered, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"It did," Emma agreed, "I haven't seen Rachel smile that much in a long time… I don't say this enough, but what you are doing for that girl, taking her in and treating her as if she were your own daughter, is amazing. It's one of the nicest things someone could do."

"Thank you. But it's nothing… I couldn't leave her out on the street… and maybe it originally started as a temporary solution to her… situation, but now, I love her as if she was my own and couldn't stand to see something happen to her. The smile on her face today, was just… incredible," he admitted.

Emma smiled up at him and snuggled into his side, "Yes it was."

* * *

_**I apologise for the recent lack of Puckleberry in this story! It is a Puck/Rachel story but the relationship Rachel has formed with her 'dad' is important and I sometimes get carried away with that. Hopefully you all don't mind too much!**_

_**Please review.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Glee… but sadly, I don't.**_

_**AN: I'm glad you all liked the last chapter. I like seeing Rachel come out of her shell a bit more. A cute little family scene here as well as some more (and exciting) Puck/Rachel moments. Sorry it's not longer... Please let me know what you think!**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

When Will and Emma walked into the living room with their coffees the next morning, Rachel was laying on the floor playing with her new computer.

"What you doing, Kiddo?" Will said, stepping over her to sit on the couch above her.

"Figuring it out," she smiled up at him, "can I please use your camera for a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," he told her, "you know where it is."

Rachel ran off into the kitchen to grab the item. Walking back into the room, she turned it on and sat next to her father. Rachel held the camera out in front of them.

"Smile," she ordered. She tried to take the photo and frowned when she realised it didn't turn out like she hoped. Emma laughed at the disappointed look on the girls face.

"Here, I'll take it for you," Emma took the camera off the girl, snapped a few photos and handed it back.

"Thanks," Rachel plugged the camera into her computer and quickly downloaded the pictures. She set one of the pictures of her and her dad as the desktop picture, "There. Finished."

"Very nice," Will smiled, "but don't you want a picture of you and Puck on there?"

"No," she told him, "I'll change it over another day, but for now, it's perfect."

"Is he coming over today?"

Rachel nodded excitedly, "We are going Christmas shopping."

"You're both Jewish," Will pointed out.

"We know that," Rachel said sarcastically, "but our friends aren't… you're not."

Will nodded to show he understood. The three sat in silence. The older couple watched Rachel fiddle with her computer some more before Will left to have a shower.

Rachel shut her computer the second her father left the room, "Emma, I need help," she turned to the woman. Emma nodded and urged the girl to continue. She knew Rachel was still not one hundred percent comfortable around others and was pleased she was reaching out, "I don't know what to get dad for Christmas. What do girls usually give their dad's?"

"Do you want to get him something practical or personal?" Emma replied with a smile.

"I don't know really," Rachel admitted, "I've never brought presents before, that's why Noah is coming with me… but he doesn't have a dad so he can't help me with this present."

"Your dad will love anything you get him, Rachel," the woman reassured the girl, "just because you took the time to think about it. Do you need some money to buy them?"

"It's okay, I've been saving my allowance and Grandma and Grandpa gave me some money for my birthday that I can use," Rachel explained.

Emma reached into her bag, pulled out her purse and held out a fifty dollar bill, "Don't use your birthday money."

"I can't accept this," Rachel said with a slightly shocked tone to her voice.

"Let me help Rachel… you got that money for your birthday, spend it on yourself," She smiled.

Rachel hesitantly took the money, "thank you."

* * *

Rachel climbed into Noah's truck when he pulled up and kissed him passionately, "I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"You saw me yesterday," he laughed, "and the day before that at school."

"I know, but we haven't had much time to ourselves over the last few weeks… with the court case and everything…" she replied quietly.

Noah smiled and kissed her again, "why don't we go to dinner and I can come over and watch a movie this afternoon?" he suggested. Rachel nodded eagerly, "right… now that that is sorted. Let's get this shopping done."

Rachel was touched at how thoughtful and helpful Noah was being while she dragged him store to store looking for the perfect gifts for their friends and her family. She knew he hated shopping but he wasn't complaining, in fact he was making reasonable suggestions. Soon they had found gifts for her grandparents, Emma and a few small things for the glee kids but Rachel was still stuck on what to get her dad.

"What did Emma suggest?" Noah asked as they took a break in the food hall for lunch.

"She said he would like anything I brought just because I put the effort in," she replied quietly.

"It's true… parents always love what there kids get them, even if it is a ridiculous gift," He smiled, "When I was ten or so I brought my mom this _ugly_ apron for Hanukkah… at the time I thought it was great coz it had some corny message on the front. She wore it for weeks."

"Well…" Rachel thought, "Emma said something personal or practical… what about a watch? That is a bit of both and they aren't too expensive."

"I think that sounds perfect," Noah smiled and pulled her towards the nearest jewellery store to have a look. She found the perfect watch after only a few minutes of searching. Noah suggested she get the back engraved and Rachel spent a few minutes deciding what she wanted it to say. Eventually she settled for 'Love Rachel xox 2010.'

They got the gifts wrapped and left the busy mall happy. Noah helped Rachel carry everything inside and they collapsed on the couch together. Rachel put a movie in and made some pop corn before snuggling up next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and was rubbing lazy patterns down her arm.

"Noah?" she whispered, turning to face him, "I… I um," she hesitated.

"I what babe?" he urged her to continue.

"I love you," she said softly. Rachel watched his face for any form of a reaction and was pleasantly surprised when he beamed back at her. He turned her arm in the cast over, so she could see the message he had written. She gasped slightly when she saw he had written 'I love you Rach! Xxx NP' neatly on it. She hadn't noticed that before.

"I love you too Rachel," he kissed her, "I love you too." It was a first for him as well, to tell a girl, apart from family, that he loved her. But he meant it, "I want it to go on the record that I admitted it first," Noah joked. They settled back on the couch to finish watching the movie. When Will got home the young couple were asleep. He quietly threw a blanket over them and tip toed into the kitchen.

He was grading papers when Noah walked into the room rubbing his eyes, "good nap?" he laughed at the boy. Puck nodded somewhat awkwardly.

"Sorry, I guess shopping is more tiring than I thought," he replied.

"Shopping is fine… shopping with women is tiring… trust me, I've been shopping with Rachel," Will laughed, "Did you get everything you wanted?"

"I think so," Puck nodded, "I told Rachel we could go out for dinner tonight, is that okay?"

"Yeah that's fine. I was going to order take-out anyway."

"Cool… Well, I'm gonna go. When she wakes up, can you tell Rachel that I'll pick her up at six?" he waved goodbye and turned to leave.

"Puck?" his teacher called him back, "Thank you for looking after her so well… she deserves someone like you."

"She's too good for me," Puck told the man, "she deserves someone better."

"Give yourself more credit… You pulled her out of a dark place. I don't need to tell you Rachel has been through a lot in her life. She had very little trust in people until you came along," Will smiled.

"You had a lot to do with that as well."

* * *

_**Please review! I'll love you forever and ever.**_

_**On a side note, what do you all think of the latest development in the Finn/Rachel story?**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**AN: I could apologise profusely for the delay in update but as I tell the littlies I teach 'its great to say sorry, but show me you mean it by not doing it again'… hopefully I can stick to my own rule this time and try to update sooner.**_

_**Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review.**_

_**Elle**_

* * *

The following Thursday, school broke up for Christmas break. It was also the night of the McKinley High schools staff Christmas party. Rachel had been sulking all day that she would have to go to that with her dad instead of hanging out with Noah like she hoped. But she didn't want to disappoint her dad so she agreed.

Rachel was nervous all day. This was the first staff event she was going to as Will's daughter. Even though most of the staff knew about their situation, Rachel was worried about how they would react. She had spent hours trying to find the perfect outfit to wear, finally settling for a pair of tights underneath a navy blue dress and her red coat over the top. As they climbed out of his car, Will took Emma's hand and slung his free hand around Rachel's shoulder.

"Stop panicking," he laughed, "you have nothing to be worried about."

Rachel nodded and flashed him a smile. When she walked into the hall, she was shocked by the amazing decorations. The room looked incredible all decked out in Christmas decorations. She stared at the stars hanging from the ceiling in awe as she followed her dad to their assigned table. He and Emma did the rounds to say hi to their colleagues leaving Rachel to fend for herself for a while. She was grabbing herself a soda when she felt someone walk up in front of her.

"Your parents made you come to this too?" She looked up to meet Dave Karofsky's gaze and nodded silently, "Which of your parents' works at the school? My mom works in the office."

"My dad," Rachel replied shyly. It was strange that Karofsky was talking to her casually and she wasn't sure if Will wanted her to tell people about their situation. Since Rachel had joined the Cheerio's, she had a lot of the football players talking to her in a more friendly manner… but it was still something she wasn't used too. After thinking about it for a minute she decided her dad wouldn't have brought her if he minded.

"Cool," he replied, handing her a straw for her soda, "so usually I am the only person remotely close to my age here… so if it's okay with you, can we chat for a while… I don't feel like entertaining the little kids again this year."

Rachel chuckled slightly. She knew what he meant; since they had walked in she hadn't seen anyone her age, "sure."

"Puck won't mind will he? I don't want him going all crazy on me. He is kind of protective of you," the boy replied.

"He has his reasons… but he won't mind," Rachel reassured him.

"So you look different out of the cheerleading outfit again," he laughed, "… what did you do to your arm?" he asked, indicating to the purple cast on her wrist.

"Uh… I broke my wrist at dancing," she lied. That had been her standard response to those who didn't understand the situation.

"Can I sign it too?" he smiled seeing all the markings that covered her arm.

"I guess… if you can find a marker," she replied. He furrowed his brow in thought. He hadn't thought of that when he had asked her. Rachel laughed, "Come on… Emma will have one in her bag, she has everything."

"Who is Emma?" the hockey captain questioned.

"Miss Pillsbury," she gave no further explanation as to how she would know that as she bounced off to find Emma.

"Excuse me Emma," she apologised for interrupting the woman's conversation with her history teacher, "have you got a marker in your bag? Dave wants to sign my cast," she explained.

Emma smiled and rummaged around in her bag, producing a black sharpie and handing it to the girl, "your dad is looking for you. He just wanted to check you are alright. He knows you didn't want to come and that you are only here for him."

"Can you tell him I'm fine?" Rachel smiled, "I don't mind being here… I was just hoping to spend some more time with Noah." She handed the pen over to the jock and they walked back to the seats at the side of the room where Rachel held out her arm so he could write on it. Rachel laughed when she realised he was drawing silly hockey cartoons.

"There you are, Rachel," Will called, "I have been looking for you. Are you okay?" he looked warily at the boy she was sitting with.

"I'm fine… I told Emma she could tell you that… Dave just wanted to sign my cast," she told her father.

"Okay, just make sure you are back at our table before they serve dinner and come and get me if you need me," He smiled at her. Rachel nodded her agreement. Karofsky had been silent as he watched the exchange.

"So you are Schue's daughter? The girl everyone has been talking about?" he asked after a minute. Rachel nodded slowly, "Wow, I didn't expect that… Don't worry, I wont tell anyone."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Okay… so you look nothing like your dad!" he joked making Rachel laugh.

"Yeah I know."

"You must have got your mom's looks then huh? Hang on! Wasn't Mr Schue married to that lady from Sheets and Things…? Is she your mom? Coz you don't look like her either!"

"No, Terri's not my mom. I don't have a mom," she replied, "I mean… obviously I do, I just don't know who she is. I've never met her… It's just me and dad… well, and his girlfriend," she rambled.

"Can't you ask your dad about your mom?"

"It's uh… complicated. It's not as straight forward as him telling me who she is," she tried to explain without giving away anything, "plus, I'm not sure how he would react… it's kinda a touchy subject. We don't talk about it."

"Fair enough… So he must have had you when he was young, right?" Karofsky asked curiously.

"Nearly seventeen," Rachel replied. It wasn't a lie. She had done the maths and that was how old Will would have been when she was born.

"So you guys are pretty close then?" Karofsky noticed.

"Yeah… but he's still my dad. Just because he was young when they had me and we have a good relationship doesn't mean I get away with everything," Rachel explained.

"We should probably head back to the tables, they are starting to bring out food… meet back here after dinner?" he asked her. Rachel nodded, thankful he wasn't pushing the topic of her mother further.

She walked back to their table to find everyone already sitting down. Over dinner, she sat awkwardly trying to show some interest as some of her teachers tried to make casual conversation with her. It annoyed her somewhat that people still treated her like she was going to break but considering the way she acted when something did go wrong she understood why they walked on egg shells around her. She almost sighed in relief when she saw Karofsky walking towards their table. Rachel looked over at her dad, silently asking him if she could go. When he nodded, she stood from the table and the two teens made their way to the seats at the side of the room.

"Thank you. I hate making small talk with my teachers," she told him honestly. Rachel found it odd that she was enjoying the company of one of the boys who used to tease her, but things had changed a lot recently and even more so since she had joined the Cheerios. Noah had told her Karofsky could be a decent guy when he wanted to.

"I know what you mean. It's bad enough that my moms friends all work in the office, I don't know what it would be like if she were a teacher," he laughed, "I suppose that's why you don't tell people at school... so… how did you and Puck get together? We all know that he is very… _very_… protective of you."

"Yeah he is," Rachel smiled, "Uh… his mom and my dad are friends from high school, we were born a few months apart, so we would see each other a lot outside of school. Then one day he asked me out and I accepted." She gave him the watered down version of events with the embellishments she and Noah had discussed.

"Cool," Karofsky replied, "He's good for you. You have changed a lot lately. I don't even remember why we picked on you in the first place. You're kinda awesome."

"Thanks… I think," Rachel laughed.

"So since Puck's not here, You wanna dance?" he asked politely and put his hand on her shoulder while he gestured to where some others were dancing. He didn't realise that the contact was going to cause a problem until Rachel jerked herself away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she yelped. He furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of what he had done wrong. Rachel saw the look on his face and looked back apologetically and the tears built up in her eyes, "I'm sorry, but _please_ don't touch me."

Will must have been watching her because he was at her side in seconds, "Is everything okay, Kiddo?" he asked her, "What did you do?" He looked at Karofsky. He wasn't angry. Will knew the boy wouldn't have done anything on purpose but he needed to know exactly what happened.

"Daddy, it's okay. He didn't do anything wrong," Rachel whispered.

"I swear I didn't hurt her… at least I don't think I did and if I did, I didn't mean too," Karofsky said quickly, "I just asked if she wanted to dance."

"It's okay Dave, I think I understand what happened," Will replied before looking over at his daughter who was sitting awkwardly, "You probably owe him some form of an explanation," he told her and she nodded and wiped her eyes, knowing there was no way she could get out of it now, "Rachel, go sit with Emma… I'll do this."

"No," she shook her head, "It's okay, I want to try first," she smiled at her father.

"Are you sure?" he asked her carefully. She nodded and he left them alone.

Dave waited patiently while she gathered her thoughts. So far, she had not had to explain her situation to anyone, Kurt, Will or Noah had always done it for her when she wasn't around. She sighed, "I am not good when people I don't know very well touch me," she said simply.

"Yeah, I kinda guessed that," the boy replied, "I didn't mean to freak you out."

"I know you didn't… I have a ummm… rough, history," she explained, "You have to understand, I've never told this story before… I have always had others do it for me…" he nodded his encouragement, "Dad… Will, is my foster dad. He has been since I was first kicked out of my adoptive parents house for asking about my birth mother. They were… um… they were abusive. So I was put into foster care and ended up with Will… Anyway," she shook her head to clear her thoughts, "now that I am old enough, I had to testify against my so called parents a few weeks ago… they didn't take the judges decision too well. They found me and well…" she held up her broken wrist to explain what happened.

"Shit Rachel!" The boy wasn't sure what to say.

"It's okay. I have a new life now… but now you know why I don't like people touching me and why I can't just ask my dad who my mom is… he doesn't know either… just give me a few minutes, okay?" she told her new friend and took off to find her dad. He jumped back in surprise when she threw her arms around him and buried her face into his shirt.

"Rach?" he asked, "Are you okay?" she nodded into his chest but didn't leave his grip. The teachers Will had been talking to watched the interaction with a small smile of understanding on their faces. A few months ago this girl had been so troubled that a hug would have made the problem worse not helped to comfort her.

"Thank you," she whispered after a minute before pushing away, walking back over to Dave and sitting down silently next to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly.

"I'll be fine… I've had time to process everything that has happened with my life… it's just going to take a while longer to work out how to deal with it," Rachel said diplomatically, "the other glee kids all know, they have been a big help lately with the court case and the… attack and everything, but please don't tell everyone."

The rest of the evening went off without another hitch. Dave respected her space and they kept each other busy until it was time to leave.

"Have a good Christmas Rachel," he smiled at her and left with his parents.

"I take it everything went okay," Will smiled. Rachel nodded. It hadn't been fun to tell Karofsky about her past but it was good to have it out in the open.

* * *

_**What did you think? Worth the wait?**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**AN: ****I could apologise for the delay but I think you've heard enough of that! While I haven't been posting, I have been writing- just not the stories I've already posted. I'm getting there. Bear with me!**_

_**Hope you like it anyway!**_

_**Elle**_

* * *

"So how was the party?" Noah said over the phone the next morning.

"Umm… Interesting is the first word that springs to mind… Did you know Dave Karofsky's mom works at the school?" Rachel asked her boyfriend.

"No. Where does she work? Was he there too? Do I need to beat him up?"

"She works in the office and yes, he was there," Rachel laughed, "but you don't need to beat him up. He was surprisingly good company. There were no other teenagers there so we were chatting for a while. He figured out that I am Will's daughter."

"You're leaving something out," he sounded concerned. Rachel smiled at how well he knew her.

"He uh… asked me to dance and I kinda freaked when he touched me… so I had to explain everything," Rachel said hesitantly.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quickly.

"I'm fine Noah, Dave was very understanding… but I wouldn't object to a visit with my boyfriend," she smiled, "Dad and I are about to go and get a Christmas tree but can I come over later?"

"Sure. I have to watch Hannah though, is that okay?"

"Sounds perfect… I've got to go," she said when her dad stuck his head in her room and tapped at his watch with a smile on his face before heading out into the lounge to wait for her.

"Hey Rach?" Noah stopped her from hanging up.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Rachel beamed, "I love you too, Noah."

* * *

Puck was sitting on his bed studying (because yes, Noah Puckerman studies) about an hour later when his phone rang.

"Hello?" he greeted when he didn't recognise the number.

"Puck. It's Dave Karofsky," the voice said, "Um… I was at the Christmas party with Rachel yesterday and she told me about everything." He explained.

"I know… she called me earlier. Uh, thanks for looking out for her," Puck replied awkwardly, "things have been hard lately with the incident and all."

"It's no problem… I just wanted to say, that if anyone gives her any more trouble that I have no problem stepping in to help out," the boy replied.

"Thanks. It's good to know you have her back too," Puck said before the pair hung up.

* * *

Rachel smiled as she hung up the phone with Noah and carried it back out to the kitchen.

"Are you ready to go?" her dad asked her. She nodded eagerly and pulled her coat out of the closet. Will was excited about getting the Christmas tree and was telling her all about Christmas when he was younger. It hadn't taken long for them to find what he deemed 'the perfect tree' and they got it set up inside.

"Now what?" Rachel asked.

"Now we decorate it… I brought all new decorations this year because Terri took most of them in the divorce," he opened the bag to show her and she grinned at the colourful decorations. Together they decorated the tree with a number of baubles, lights, candy canes, tinsel and other things Will found. Lastly he helped her put the star on top, turned the lights on and stepped back to admire their work.

"What do you think?" he nudged her.

Rachel smiled, "It looks amazing… I always thought that Christmas trees were a lot of work for one day but that was lots of fun."

Will laughed at her response and walked off into his bedroom only to return a few minutes later with his arms full of neatly wrapped gifts. Rachel's eyes widened at the sight and she helped him arrange them under the tree before running off to get her own as well.

"There is one more Schuester family Christmas tradition," Will told her pulling a stocking out of a bag, "I made this when I was a kid… all of my family have homemade stockings that we decorated… Your grandmother sent this one over," he indicated to a new stocking that had been embroidered with her name, "for you to decorate."

Rachel ran her fingers over the embroidery and smiled. He pulled out a heap of craft supplies and she set about decorating it herself before hanging it next to his.

"I promised Noah I would go over for a little while today, is that okay?" She asked her dad.

"I'll drop you around there," he told her, "I don't want you walking, it's too slippery and you already have one broken bone."

When he pulled the car up outside the Puckerman house, he reminded her to call when she was ready for him to come and get her. She thanked him bounced her way up to the front door and knocked.

Hannah opened it and let Rachel in, "Noah is upstairs in his room," she explained, "I'm going to watch a movie. Do you want to watch it with me?" the little girl was excited.

"I better say hi to your brother first. You start it and I might be able to convince him to come down and watch it with you later," Rachel smiled at Hannah before climbing the stairs to Noah's room.

He jumped when Rachel pushed his door open, "Babe! When did you get here?"

"Just then. Dad dropped me off," She lay down on the bed next to him. He sat up a little and lent over her to gently kiss her. Rachel's hands roamed his chest and back, tracing patterns wherever they went. He was intoxicating. When he pulled back she smiled at him, "You know Noah, I'm not going to kill you if you touch me," she grinned, "I know you're holding back."

"I'm not going to push you Rach. I know you don't like it," he told her.

"I don't like it from others… but you're different. You're my boyfriend and you make me feel special; like I'm the most beautiful person in the world. I know that you know I have scars but I also know I can't hide them forever. I love you Noah and I trust you… more than I have ever trusted anyone," She whispered and took his hand, putting it on her hip and running it up her side until it rested just below her chest. Noah was amazed. It meant the world to him to know how much she trusted him.

"Okay, but promise you'll tell me if I do something that makes you uncomfortable," he made her promise before capturing her lips again and letting his hands roam gently. His fingertips brushed gently along the sliver of skin that was visible at the hem of her shirt. As they moved across the skin on her back, stomach and side, she felt him brush across the burn scar. He pulled back and looked her in the eye. He saw her flinch slightly- not in pain but from the new feeling of someone being in her personal space like he was. No one had ever got that close to her scars before.

"Is this the burn from the coffee?" he asked, tracing a finger around it but his gaze not leaving hers.

"How do you know about that?" Rachel was surprised.

"Mom told me. She said you showed everyone in the courtroom."

"Uh, Yeah, it is," she said quietly, "Do you uh… want to see?"

"It's okay Rach… One day, when you're ready," he reassured her it was fine, "I have seen them before… after the slushie incident."

Rachel stood from the bed, walked over to his bedroom door to lock it, "it's not that I don't want you to see them again. I mean, Santana has seen them and like you said, you have seen them before… but… it's just, my body isn't the most attractive… it never will be," she explained. She pulled her top over her head and sat back down on the bed in front of him. She looked away. She was ashamed of her body and incredibly self conscious of what he was going to think.

His fingers traced the scars. Starting from the scar on her neck and following them all the way. Finally, he let his fingers brush over the burn. He lowered his lips to her neck and kissed her.

"Rachel, you are the most beautiful girl, I have _ever_ seen," he whispered, looking her in the eye. Rachel smiled gently.

"Thank you, Noah," she muttered before he kissed her.

"They are not as bad as I remembered. The bruises made them look worse," he continued attacking her neck gently.

"I know," Rachel breathed heavily and let out a quiet moan as his lips worked their magic on her collarbone. After another few minutes of pure pleasure, he pulled back abruptly and smiled at her. She whimpered at the loss of contact.

"There," he grinned, "now you have a mark that you got from a much happier memory… although it's only temporary, so you will have to come back every few days to get another one." He turned her so that she was facing the mirror and could see the hickey he had left on her pale skin. She reached a hand up to run her fingers over the red mark and blushed.

"Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about," he laughed at her gently, glad she wasn't freaking out about it like some girls do, "it was just as much fun for me as it was for you and I was careful to keep it to areas your Cheerio's uniform will cover."

"I love you, Noah," she whispered as she turned in his arm to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him deeply.

"I love you too Rachel," he replied, "and as much as I would love to stay up here and keep going with this, apparently my mom has been talking to your dad because she reinforced the open door rule this morning when I told her you were coming over. And if we leave Hannah downstairs by herself much longer, she will come up here and snitch when mom comes home."

With his help, Rachel pulled her shirt back over her head and they walked downstairs hand in hand.

* * *

When Rebekah got home at five o'clock that evening, she found her son and his girlfriend, sleeping with Hannah curled up next to them. The three had pulled out the sofa bed to lie on while they watched movies. Noah was lying on his back with his head propped up on a pillow while Rachel was lying with her head resting on his shoulder. One of his hands was resting in her hair and the other was clasped tightly with hers. Hannah was curled up in a ball just to the side of her brother and the TV was playing in the background.

Rebekah smiled and threw a blanket over them all. She turned the TV off and crept into the kitchen, dialling the Schuester house as she went.

"Hi Will, It's Rebekah," she greeted, "The kids are all asleep so I thought I would invite you and your girlfriend around. The three of you can stay for a Christmas Eve dinner," she suggested. Half an hour later, Will and Emma were knocking on the front door. Rebekah rushed to answer it. She raised a finger to her lips telling them to be quiet.

"They are still asleep," she smiled, pointing them in the direction of the kids. Will pulled out his camera and snapped a few photos.

"Rachel was looking for photos of the two of them," he laughed, "I don't think this is what she was after though… It's nice to see her so comfortable." The three walked into the kitchen where they were chatting over glasses of wine until Hannah walked in rubbing her eyes.

"Who are you? You were at Rachel's birthday too," the curious eight year old said to the woman sitting with her mom and Will.

"This is Will's girlfriend, Emma," Rebekah replied, slightly embarrassed by her daughters forwardness. Emma laughed though, "Emma, this is my daughter Hannah."

Hannah looked the woman over before nodding her head, "Rachel talks about you. She says you're really nice" She said before running off to play. The adults laughed loudly at the response.

With all the chatter and laughter going on in the next room, Rachel and Noah weren't asleep for much longer. They walked into the kitchen groggy eyed a while later.

"Hi sleepyheads!" Rebekah greeted them, "you have woken up just in time for dinner."

Rachel turned to her dad, "Rebekah invited us to stay for dinner," he told her, "is that okay?"

The girl nodded eagerly and took the seat next to her boyfriend. They chatted happily together while the adults discussed a range of more boring topics. Eventually, it was time for the Schuester clan to leave.

"Call me when you get a free minute tomorrow. I know you are going to be busy doing the whole Christmas thing with your family," Noah told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I will," she smiled, "I love you."

"Love you too, babe," he kissed her quickly before letting her leave with her family. He walked back into the kitchen to help his mom clean up.

"Was that the 'L' word I heard you and Rachel saying," Rebekah grinned at her son. Noah blushed furiously at being caught out.

"Yeah, I love her, mom," he admitted quietly, "she is just… amazing."

"Oh Noah! I am so proud of you," Rebekah kissed his forehead, "and you are right, Rachel is perfect for you. You have been pretty amazing for her over the last few months too. I couldn't be more proud of you. I must have done something right after all."

"You did everything right, mom. Hannah and I have never gone without anything," Noah reassured his mom, "I love you."

"I love you too, Noah"

* * *

_**Review please!**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Nor do I own the song 'Taking Chances' featured in this chapter.**_

_**A little grumble now… For those of you who messaged me or reviewed saying 'where is Shelby?' (some of you not so politely), please make sure to read authors notes before leaving rude reviews. I have stated (several times) in all of my stories and in some cases by directly replying to your messages, that Shelby will feature in this story… however it will be on MY terms. This is fan fiction, meaning I write it how I thought it should happen. Sending me messages over and over saying 'where the f*** is Shelby' will not make me write it in just to please you! I want to THANK the people who take the time to review whether it is positive or negative… but seriously, this is getting ridiculous!**_

_**Anywho, those of you who do the right thing don't want to read about my grumbles! You want to hear about RACHEL and her very first Christmas! So here it is!**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

_**Elle xox**_

* * *

Rachel wasn't sure what to expect about Christmas. The story of Christmas was taught at school but she had often brushed it aside knowing that it wasn't her religion. She knew the basics and had seen enough movies to get a general idea about the traditions but she had never actually celebrated it. It was still early when she woke so Rachel got up and padded out to the kitchen to make tea and coffee for her and Will. They had dropped Emma off at home on their way last night so she knew her dad would be alone in his room.

With the two mugs in her hands (as best she could with a broken wrist), Rachel walked back down the hall and knocked on her Dad's door.

"Come in Rach," he called, sitting up in his bed.

"Merry Christmas," Rachel said, handing him his coffee and climbing onto the end of his bed to sit.

"Merry Christmas to you too Baby Girl," he smiled and held up the coffee, "Thank you… so are you ready for your first big Schuester family get together. They can get pretty intense when everyone is there."

"I guess…" Rachel shrugged, "I want to meet them. What time are we going to Grandma and Grandpa's house?" she asked her father.

"We will leave here just before eleven. It will take about half an hour to get there today because there shouldn't be too much traffic on the road," he told her.

"M'kay," Rachel replied taking one last sip of her tea, "I'm going to have a shower. Is Emma coming over this morning?"

"No, she is spending Christmas morning with her mom and the will drive out and meet us at Grandma and Grandpa's house later this afternoon… It's just you and me this morning." he smiled at Rachel's enthusiasm. Rachel quickly ran off to have a shower. She was nervous about meeting the rest of her new family. She knew it was unusual circumstances and was worried about how they would react to her.

After her shower, Rachel spent a good thirty to forty minutes trying to find the perfect outfit. She finally settled on a pair of dark stockings with a floral printed dress over the top. It was an outfit Kurt had put together for her a few weeks ago. She found her black suede boots in the bottom of her closet and put them by her bed while she finished her hair and make-up. Rachel straightened her hair and clipped some of it back to stop it falling around her face. Doing her make up was a much quicker job now that she had no bruises to cover up. Eventually, she was ready for the day and made her way out to the kitchen where Will was cooking up a storm.

"Waffles?" she laughed.

"Yup," he smiled, "Can you get a couple of plates and get the table ready?"

Rachel nodded and quickly set about doing her chores, "Finished," she told him once she had set the table and poured them both glasses of juice.

"Okay, come here," he waved her over to the bench where he was cooking the last of the waffles in the waffle iron, "Do you know how to do this?" he asked her. Rachel shook her head in response, "Okay, so you want to spoon some of the mixture in and spread it so it's even," she did as he instructed. He showed her how to flip it and take them out then left her to finish the last couple by herself while he showered.

He didn't take anywhere near as long as her and ten minutes later they were sitting down eating their breakfast. Waffles covered in syrup.

"Hmm… You know what these waffles need?" Will said after taking a mouthful, "… ice cream!" he stood and pulled a tub of ice cream out of the freezer. Rachel looked at him like he had gone nuts. Normally he was lecturing her about the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast and how she didn't eat enough. Now he was scooping ice-cream onto her breakfast plate. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"What?!" he laughed, "Oh don't tell me you have never had waffles and ice cream!"

Rachel shook her head with a chuckle but shrugged her shoulders and took a mouthful. He watched as her face lit up, "this is good!" she laughed.

After what Rachel declared 'the best breakfast ever', Rachel stacked the dishwasher while her dad was on the phone to Emma. She had managed to get out of her usual job of doing the dishes while her arm was in a cast. The water made it impossible. She happily hummed to herself while she rinsed and stacked the plates. This was the first holiday she would be able to share with her dad and she wanted to make sure it was special for both of them. When she stacked the last plate, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled Noah's number.

"Merry Christmas Babe," he answered after only a few rings.

Rachel smiled, "Merry Christmas… Did I wake you?" she asked hearing him yawn.

"No, but I'm still in bed," he reassured her, "how has your Christmas morning been so far?" he asked her, looking over at the clock to see it was nine-thirty already.

"Dad let me have waffles and ice cream… They were unbelievably delicious," she told him. Noah laughed. He loved how the little things in life that he took for granted, were so new and amazing to Rachel.

"Yes they are… they taste best with peanut butter ice cream," he whispered as if it was a big secret.

"Well, I just have to try that, although, I get the feeling that waffles and ice cream are only a special treat for breakfast here, we might just have to go out and get them for dessert one night," she proposed.

"I can live with that."

They chatted for a few more minutes before Rachel told him she had to go, "We are going to Grandma and Grandpa's house just before eleven and I want to give dad his presents first."

"Okay Rach… I love you," he smiled.

"I love you too, Merry Christmas." Rachel hung up with a smile on her face and went to join her dad in the living room, in front of the Christmas tree. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the number of presents under the tree had doubled from the night before.

"Woah! Where did they all come from," she gasped.

Her dad shrugged his shoulders and smirked, "Santa."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sat down to watch the lights on the tree change colours, "I don't want to take the tree down," she told him as she looked at the tree in awe, "it's too pretty."

"Well it can stay up for a while but eventually it will start to smell," he laughed at her before walking over to the tree and picking up a present, "What do you know," he grinned, "this one's for you."

Rachel smiled and opened the gift to reveal some new clothes. She thanked her dad for the gift with a smile on her face. They spent the next hour, sorting the gifts into piles for him and her and opening them one at a time. Will had been given a few gifts from old friends and colleagues from work but most of Rachel's gifts were from Will or 'Santa' as he insisted. She came away with a collection of DVD's, a new book bag, clothes, books, chocolate and a new pink iPod with which he had already loaded with music. Surprisingly, Terri had sent them both a small gift as well.

Rachel had brought Will a few little gifts; a bottle of wine (courtesy of Rebekah who had volunteered to buy it for her), a new pen for work and some chocolates but she had yet to give him his main present. She handed him the box and watched nervously as he opened it to reveal the watch she had chosen.

"Oh Rachel, it's fantastic," he told her with a big smile. She sat next to him and took it out of the box so he could see the engraving. She noticed his eyes well up with tears but chose not to say anything, "it's perfect. Thank you Rachel… I love it." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

* * *

With presents out the way, they gathered their gifts for the rest of the family and Emma and made the thirty minute drive to the older Schuester's house. By the time they got there, Rachel was visibly nervous. She had been gripping the door in the car increasingly tighter and her actions didn't go un-noticed by Will.

"Come on Kiddo, everything will be fine," he promised her. They climbed out of the car and gathered their bags. Rachel was wearing a black coat over the top of her dress and a knitted hat. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and fiddled nervously with her phone.

Grandma Julie answered the door giving her son and granddaughter a hug each, "Merry Christmas!" she cried, pulling them inside and out of the cold. They shrugged off their coats and hung them in the closet. Rachel looked around the foyer of her grandparents' house. There were a few family photos plastered on the wall and a couple of her dad when he was about her age that made her laugh. She would need to remember to take a few photos of them to show the Glee kids. She could hear voices coming from the next room so Rachel clung to her dad's shirt and walked shyly behind him.

"William!" an older woman cried and rushed forward to give him a hug.

"Aunty Ruth, It's good to see you," he replied to the woman, "Merry Christmas."

Rachel stepped back nervously as he was attacked by his family.

"Woah! Guys! Slow down," he laughed, "everyone… I want you all to meet my daughter Rachel." He pulled her in front of him and rested his hands on her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze to reassure her. He introduced Rachel to each of his aunties, uncles, cousins and last but not least, his grandmother. They had all been roughly briefed before the day of the situation and all had been extremely welcoming of a new member in the family. As they had been warned, everyone gave Rachel a bit of space.

A little blonde girl of around six or seven, who had been introduced as Addison, walked up to Rachel and tugged on her dress, "What did you do to your arm?" she asked curiously.

"I broke my wrist," Rachel said quietly in answer to the girl's question.

"How did you do that?" Addison questioned, "Did you fall out of a tree? Jake at school fell out of a tree and broke his arm." Will watched Rachel closely to see how she would handle the girls interrogation.

"Um, No… I didn't fall out of a tree," Rachel couldn't help but smile a little at the girl before she frowned at the reality, "Some mean men hurt me," she replied.

"Oh… My mommy says you should never be mean… She always yells at me if I do something naughty, did the man's mommy yell at him?" Addison said innocently.

"I don't know," Rachel said shifting closer to her dad. Addison's mom stopped her before the girl could ask anymore questions that would make Rachel uncomfortable and shot her an apologetic smile. Will pushed Rachel in the direction of her grandfather so she could wish him a merry Christmas.

"Merry Christmas Grandpa," Rachel said with a smile, hugging her grandpa and handing him the gift she had brought.

"Merry Christmas to you too Rachel… did Santa Clause spoil you this year," he said with a knowing smile. Rachel nodded her head and shot her father a bright smile, "Well then, while your dad keeps everyone entertained in here for a while, we want you to come with us." Joe took her hand and led her out of the room with Julie following close behind.

They sat down at a table and Julie handed her an envelope, "Just a little something to say merry Christmas," she smiled. Rachel opened the envelope to find a hundred dollar bill tucked inside a card.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"We were going to buy you something but we figured it would be much more beneficial to give you money and let you choose your own present this year. We know you have your eye on a few things. Just tell us what you spend the money on," Joe smiled. Rachel nodded.

"Now, I have one more thing for you," Julie said, pulling a long box out and handing it too Rachel, "this was my grandmothers. She gave it to my mother on her sixteenth birthday and my mom gave it to me on my sixteenth… since I never had a daughter, I held onto it, waiting until I could give it to one of my grand-daughters. I'm sorry it wasn't ready to give to you for your sixteenth."

Rachel looked at the box and opened it to reveal a beautiful pearl bracelet. She ran her fingers over the little beads, "it's beautiful," she whispered, "but are you sure you want to give this too me? Don't you want to give it to a biological relative."

"I'm positive. You are our Grand-daughter in every way and we love you very much," Julie smiled, "Grandparents love to give their grand children things. Just promise me that one day, when you have a daughter or a grand-daughter of your own, that you will pass it along to her too."

Rachel couldn't stop the tear that rolled down her cheek as she nodded eagerly. It still surprised her how much her life had changed over the past few months. She wiped the tear away with the back of her hand, "Thank you," she whispered. The small group walked back into the living room to join the conversation. Rachel quickly showed her dad the bracelet and he smiled at her happiness. His mother had asked him last week if he minded her giving the item to Rachel.

They sat around the dinning table eating the traditional lunch. Rachel sat between her dad and little Addison. The girl chatted throughout dinner.

"Mommy said you're my new cousin Rachel… Did you know that?"

"Uh…yes," Rachel nodded.

"After lunch, will you show me how to get my hair to go like yours?" Addison asked.

Rachel smiled at her, "sure."

After lunch and the swapping of gifts, Rachel did as she promised and played with the little girls hair while she listened to the families conversation. Emma had arrived and been introduced to the entire family. Julie was trying to convince Will to sit down and play some Christmas carols on the piano. But he stubbornly refused and tightened his grip on Emma's waist.

"Mom! I do it every year… I want a year off please..." he laughed, "You have about a hundred Christmas CD's, play one of those instead."

"But it's not the same William!" Julie whined.

"I can play them."

The group turned in the direction of the voice, surprised to realise it was Rachel, "I don't know them but if you have the sheet music, I can probably play them," she said again now that everyone was quiet. Julie's face broke out in a grin. She got the books full of Christmas sheet music out from under the piano bench and handed them to Rachel.

"Can you play with your wrist in a cast?" She asked.

"I have before and it doesn't hurt at the moment so… we'll see how I go," Rachel replied stretching her fingers out. She sat on the bench and pulled her hair up so it wouldn't get in the way. Her dad stood beside her so he could flip the pages if she needed him too.

Rachel played a few songs that she didn't know before she got to one that she did and could join in.

She started playing the opening bars to Oh Holy Night. Everyone began singing at the appropriate time but one by one they stopped and listened to Rachel's voice until eventually she was the only one left singing. When she finished the song, she looked up to see everyone staring at her.

"My goodness," her great grandmother Maria said, "What a talented young lady… You take after your father." Rachel beamed at being told she was like her father. Even though she knew it was biologically impossible, it was a nice feeling. She saw how much Will was like her grandmother and so desperately wanted to have that connection with someone.

"Rachel is the star of our schools Glee Club," Emma told the group making Rachel blush.

"Sing us something else Rachel," Auntie Ruth smiled, "I think we would all love to hear you sing again."

"I'm afraid my knowledge of Christmas carols is rather limited. I was um… raised… Jewish," Rachel admitted, "I can read the music but I don't know the words to many of them."

"Stand up," Will told her, "I know something you can sing… I know you know the words." Rachel stood from the bench and Will rummaged around through all his old sheet music, pulling out a song and setting it up for her to see. Rachel smiled when she recognised the song. She let Will sit down and play for her.

Don't know much about your life.  
Don't know much about your world, but  
Don't want to be alone tonight,  
On this planet they call earth.

You don't know about my past, and  
I don't have a future figured out.  
And maybe this is going too fast.  
And maybe it's not meant to last,

But what do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?

I just want to start again,  
And maybe you could show me how to try,  
And maybe you could take me in,  
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?

Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?

And I had my heart beaten down,  
But I always come back for more, yeah.  
There's nothing like love to pull you up,  
When you're laying down on the floor there.  
So talk to me, talk to me,  
Like lovers do.  
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,  
Like lovers do,  
Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?

Don't know much about your life  
Don't know much about your world

The room burst into a round of applause when she finished.

"Who taught you to sing and play piano Rachel?" Will's cousin Thomas asked.

"I mostly taught myself… apart from the odd lesson at school, I've never had any formal training in piano," she told them, "I didn't have a piano at home until I moved in with Daddy." This news surprised the group, even Will. Rachel was very talented and she was telling them that everything she knew, she taught herself.

"It takes a lot of dedication to teach yourself to play an instrument and you play so beautifully," Maria said, "William, you must get Rachel into some piano lessons."

Will nodded his head at the idea.

"My wrist hurts now… I don't think I can play anymore today," Rachel told the group who let her leave the piano bench and go back to playing with the little kids. Before long, Rachel, Will and Emma were saying goodbye and climbing back in their cars to spend the rest of Christmas back at Will's house.

* * *

Rachel spent a quiet afternoon getting her head around everything that happened that day and eventually got the confidence to go and talk to her father.

"Daddy," she spoke quietly, "You said when I was ready I should come talk to you."

He nodded his encouragement for her to continue.

"Um… Do you think maybe there is a way to find out who my mother is?" she asked him.

"I can ask Social Services to look into it," he replied, "Melanie has mentioned that there is a few things they can do… but you might have to be a bit patient and you might have to prepare yourself… We don't know what the circumstances for her were and if she would be willing to have contact with you."

"I understand," Rachel replied. Over the next couple of days, Will started to look into it. He wasn't sure he was keen on the idea of Rachel meeting up with a complete stranger straight away but it was her decision. Social Service had warned it would take a while to cut through the red tape to get a name and contact details but were willing to assist the family.

* * *

_**AN: Hi all! Hope you last month has been better than mine! For those of you who don't live in Western Australia, WA is in the middle of it's worst flu season in decades! They are calling it the 100 day flu… and believe me when I say it is horrible! I've managed to catch it twice now (obviously different strains or whatever they call it) and I've consistently had over half my class at home ill. Makes it so hard to do my job but I'd rather they stayed home and got better. One of the little 4 year olds at a neighbouring school passed away from flu related issues just two weeks ago.**_

_**Just a reminder that I don't own 'Taking Chances.'**_

_**Please make my day and review!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don't own Glee.**_

_**AN: I really REALLY like this chapter. It took me a long time to write but I am finally happy with how it sounds. It does contain several references to Rachel's old life- however it is nothing graphic. Please read and review with care.**_

_**Hope you like it!**_

_**Elle xo**_

* * *

A few days after Christmas, Will took Rachel back to the hospital to have her cast removed. The technician asked if Rachel wanted to keep the cast but due to the circumstances in which the cast was put on, Rachel was undecided. On one hand, she didn't want to keep it because she didn't really need the reminder of how her wrist was broken in the first place. But on the other hand, this is the first cast (and she has had a lot) that has ever been signed by her friends. Will suggested that she keep it and if she decided later she didn't want it, they could throw it out.

The doctor took a look at Rachel's arm and gave her a brace to wear for a week or so while the strength was re-building. Rachel knew the drill well. This was about the sixth time she had broken her arm. She desperately wanted to go back to dancing and gymnastics the following week so she did everything she could to get her arm ready. Rachel was also glad to be able to wash her hair properly. She had covered her cast in cling-wrap before she showered but hair washing wasn't an easy task one handed.

Rachel was braiding her hair when her dad knocked on her door and pushed it open, "Phones for you," he smiled.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rach, it's Santana!" came the cheery voice on the other end.

"Oh… Hi!" Rachel smiled. She missed seeing her friends everyday now, "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Si, Christmas in the Lopez house is like a national affair," she said in a thick Latina accent, "It's pretty full on. I always forget how crazy my family are."

Rachel laughed.

"So do you have plans for New Year on Friday?" Santana asked her.

"Nope… Noah and I talked about doing something, but I don't know what. Why?"

"My parents are letting me have a little get together. It's not a huge thing. Mostly just the Gleeks but my sister said we can hook up her Singstar and battle it out until midnight… What do you say? You in?" Santana asked hopefully.

"Uh I'd love to. Let me check with my dad," Rachel smiled and threw the phone down on her bed while she went to find Will, "Daddy can I go to a New Years party at Santana's house Friday night?"

He smiled at her, "I suppose Emma and I can break in the New Year by ourselves," he said with a laugh, "Go ahead."

"Thanks," she laughed and picked up the phone again.

"Yeah I can go," she told Santana, "Have you asked Noah yet?"

"I thought I would leave that up to you. I figured you would be doing something together anyway and you probably have a better chance of getting him to come to this than I would have."

"I'll call him in a minute. Thanks for the invite." Rachel hung up and rang Noah's number.

"Hey Baby," he answered, "I missed you."

"Hi. I've missed you too," she smiled, "Santana just rang. She's invited us to a New Years party on Friday."

"Cool. That sounds better than anything I could come up with. I have to watch my sister until mom gets home from work though so I'll have to meet you there," he told her.

"It's okay. I'll ask dad to drive me. Umm Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Is your mom home? I want to talk to her about something," Rachel said hesitantly. She wasn't even really sure if she wanted to bring up this topic yet but she wasn't sure how her dad would take it and thought Rebekah might have a better insight.

Noah smiled. He loved that Rachel was so comfortable talking to his mom. He was the first to admit it was awkward sometimes that she couldn't talk to him but he understood Rachel was always going to have things in her past that she found difficult to share with him.

"Yeah she is… Hang on, I'll go find her," He walked out of his room and downstairs to find his mom helping his sister in the kitchen, "Ma? Rach wants to talk to you… I'll help Hannah," he said to his mom before talking back into the phone, "here she is… love you."

Rebekah took the phone out of the room so they could talk privately, "Hi Sweetheart," Rebekah smiled as she greeted her son's girlfriend. She was still giddy that the pair had finally declared their love for each other, "What can I do for you?"

"Umm… I was thinking earlier about… well about the Berry's house and stuff," Rachel muttered quietly, "I know I have a new life and a new family and I really don't ever want to go back there but… It's just, I have a few things there that I left behind… and I don't know what they did with any of it and it really has no value but..."

"It's okay Rachel, I know what you're saying. The things you left behind were yours… Have you told your dad any of this?" Rebekah asked tentatively, "You know he can organise for you or someone to go and get your things?"

"I know but, I don't want him to think that the things he gives me aren't good enough because they are more than I could ever ask for," Rachel explained quietly.

"Do you want me to talk to him for you?" Rebekah asked.

"I don't know," Rachel replied, "… Would you mind?"

"Not at all… put him on and I'll talk to him now," the woman smiled.

Rachel walked out into the living room with the phone in her hand. She handed it over to her father, "It's Rebekah," she explained and then quickly left the room.

"Rebekah. Hi," Will said into the phone.

"Hello Will. Look Rachel has wanted to talk to you about something but she has been a little hesitant to do it so I volunteered… " Rebekah explained the situation to Will who was very understanding. Will promised that he would make the arrangements with Social Services straight away and then the three of them (Will, Rachel and Rebekah) would go together.

"Thanks for talking to her Rebekah. I appreciate that she has someone she feels comfortable discussing this with," Will said honestly.

"It's not a problem. Let me know when everything is sorted."

Will hung up and immediately rang Melanie at Social Services. He explained the request and she said she would arrange with the police to have the house unlocked tomorrow so they could pack up all the belongings. After hanging up, Will walked down the hall to Rachel's room and found her sitting on her bed, her head hung low as she stared into her lap.

"We're going to go tomorrow afternoon," He told her with a smile, "Rebekah is going to come with us."

"You're not angry are you?" Rachel said in a whisper.

He crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed, "Not one bit. You have every right to want the things you left behind and I'm proud of you for having the guts to ask about it." He slung his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"I love you Daddy," she said, returning his hug, "thank you."

* * *

"Noah honey!" Rebekah called through the halls the next day, finding her son in front of the computer, "I'm just going to Will and Rachel's house for a while to help out with something," she said, "Can you look out for your sister for a while."

Noah nodded, "Is Rachel alright?" he asked his mom.

"She's fine honey. She just wants to get some of her things from her fathers house and wasn't sure how to ask Will. We've organised with Social Services to let us in today."

"Are the Berry's going to be there?" He asked, concern evident through his tone. He knew Rachel's dads were out on bail until the court hearing in a few weeks.

"I don't know Noah," his mom said honestly, "but it is policy that the police are present… Don't worry we'll all be fine but Rachel might need you later on… this isn't going to be easy for her."

Rachel stood outside her childhood home with her father and Rebekah. Melanie was standing off to the side. Rachel couldn't take her eyes off the door to the house she once loosely called home.

"Are you sure you want to go inside?" the social worker asked her, "We can collect your things for you if you like and you can stay out here."

"No. I want to go in," Rachel replied bravely, "… are they… are they in there?"

Melanie shook her head, "No, they were escorted off the premises by the police a little earlier."

"Okay," Rachel walked towards the house. She stepped through the door and looked around. Things hadn't changed much. A few bit and pieces had been moved and since Rachel had been the only one to clean in the house, it was messier than it had been. Will got the chance to see the house his daughter had been raised in and he was less than impressed. When he walked into his parents house even now, there were pictures and memories of him growing up thrown across the walls. From what he had seen in this house, there was not a single piece of evidence to suggest that a child once lived here.

Will, Rebekah, Melanie and a police officer followed Rachel through the halls and upstairs to her old room. Will had to hold back his comments at seeing the numerous locks that would prevent someone from getting _out _of the room as well as ones that stopped you from getting in. She tried twisting the door handle but found it locked. Rachel sighed and walked a few metres back down the hall to another room where she picked up a door stop, sighing again when she realised her key was gone. Everyone looked at her confused and in shock as she opened the window of the other room and climbed out and onto a large tree branch. Will stood in the window and watched as she easily climbed into her old room and returned a minute later with a key.

"I uh… I wasn't allowed out of my room much…" she admitted quietly, "I found a couple of their keys and hid one in the doorstop in case I got locked out one day. Apparently they found it." She let them into her room, "It's not the first time I've had to climb through the window."

She opened the door to her room and sighed. It looked like her fathers had pretty much dumped anything that had any relation to her in the room. Curiously, Will opened one of the boxes piled on her bed and was surprised to find old school pictures and reports.

"Oh! I always wondered where they went," Rachel said, "I didn't think they kept them." The group set about boxing up the belongings that Rachel wanted to take with her. There wasn't a lot but then again, she was never given a lot. Once the men had taken the boxes down to the car, they all looked around the room again. Rachel took a movie poster off the wall near the door and rolled it up. She frowned when it revealed a hole in the wall and she ran her hand over it.

"I broke my hand doing this," she declared to the group. No one needed to ask her how or why she felt the need to punch the wall. They all just accepted that it was part of Rachel's old life. They were about to walk out the door when Rachel suddenly remembered something.

"Oh!" she cried, running back to the nightstand and pushing it away from the wall. Will moved closer to see what she was doing and watched as she lifted a few floorboards to reveal a hiding space underneath. Rachel pulled out a few bags and boxes, "I can't believe I nearly forgot these." The hole under the floorboards had been Rachel's hiding spot for many years. She had kept anything sacred there, including her diary, a small stash of money, photos, letters, music and much more. In her rush to pack she had forgotten them.

Finally they were done and without a second glance, Rachel walked out of the house, straight to her Dad's car and climbed in. An hour later, everyone had left Rachel to sort through her belongings by herself. Slowly everything was put away in its new home, except her diaries and the box that Will had found earlier. She gathered them and carried them out to the living room where Will was watching TV.

They flicked through the old school photos together, "Weren't you a cutie," he laughed at a picture of an eight or nine year old Rachel smiling with gaps in her teeth, "I think some of these need to go up on the walls… would that be okay?"

Rachel smiled and nodded. She ran her hands over the front of her diaries, "Umm… you can read these if you want," she told him, "… I know you are curious about certain things and that I don't talk about it much… but I think you should read these if you want to know. I explain a lot in them."

"I don't want to invade your privacy Rachel…" Will hesitated, "Kids generally don't want their parents reading their diaries."

"I want you to read them… I think you of all people should understand exactly what happened," Rachel put the books in her father's hesitant hands. She kissed his forehead and walked out of the room.

That night when Emma climbed into bed, Will was sitting up reading.

"What are you reading?" She asked him quietly.

"Rachel's diary," he replied. Emma gave him a strange look that made him laugh, "don't worry, she told me to read it. They are her old ones, from when she was living with the Berry's." He explained, "I can't believe how much she has been through… I mean, this diary is from when she was ten or eleven and she is talking about how she has been locked in her room for two days because she didn't have dinner ready on time… She says she wonders whether they forgot they locked her in there and whether she should climb out the window and let herself out because she is starting to get hungry… When I was eleven, all I had to worry about was who my favourite cartoon character was. I didn't even know how to turn the oven on."

"Rachel is a brave girl… she probably won't ever completely get over what happened to her as a child but she is already making tremendous progress at working around it. She has been so happy over the last few weeks and her letting you read her diary is her way of reaching out to you because she _knows_ she can't talk about it yet," Emma reassured him.

Will sighed, closed the book and turned off the light.

_**AN: What did you think?! Please review!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Glee =(**_

_**AN: Here you go! A new chapter of Picking Up The Pieces. Its not hugely long but it will tie you over Be aware there are more references to Rachel's passed again in this chapter. Read and Review with care.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**Elle xo**_

* * *

A few days later, Rachel and Will were sitting on the couch watching a movie to kill some time before he drove Rachel to Santana's house for New Years. It was often hard for Will to pick a movie that didn't bring up bad memories for Rachel. Usually he let her choose and if something made her feel uncomfortable he would watch her flinch or shut her eyes until it was over, but she never said anything. Today, she seemed to notice his attention during a particular part of the movie.

"Just a couple of times," she said softly.

"Excuse me?" Will shook his head, unsure what she was talking about.

"It only happened a few times," she said again, this time slightly more confident, "I can see you want to ask and I know I didn't write it in my diaries."

Will's eyes widened slightly at her admission. The characters on the screen had been talking about sexual assault and as much as he was scared of the answer, he was curious as to how far the Berry's had taken it with Rachel.

"Rachel…" he started slowly.

"It didn't start until I turned thirteen or so," she continued, "and it only happened a few times."

"That doesn't make it right," Will replied.

"I know," Rachel replied, looking right at him, "but it stopped… I don't know why they stopped but they did and I can be thankful for that. It was a horrible experience and I would really rather not talk about it."

Will was silent for a second, seething over how his daughter had been treated over the years, "I'm sorry I can't take away everything that has happened to you, Kiddo," he said quietly, "I wish I could stop it from hurting you." Rachel rested her head on his shoulder but didn't say anything. She wished he could take it all away too.

* * *

"She's been sexually assaulted," Will said quietly to his girlfriend as they watched Rachel walk up to her friends house and ring the doorbell, "she admitted it while we were watching a movie earlier."

"I suspected," Emma nodded, "just some of the things she speaks about when she comes to see me at school… She's not very open about it, as we would expect but I got the feeling she was glossing over details."

"She's my little girl… I just wish she wasn't hurting anymore," he sighed.

"That's what makes you an excellent father," Emma took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

* * *

Rachel waved to her dad and Emma to let them know she was alright as the door to the Lopez house was opened by Marissa.

"Rachel!" she greeted the girl with a kiss to the forehead, "how was your Christmas, Dear? Santana tells me it was a special one for you this year."

"It was good thank you Mrs Lopez. It was my first Christmas with Daddy… actually, it was my first Christmas altogether so it was pretty special. How was yours?" Rachel replied politely.

"It was lovely. Although, I am glad to have the house back to ourselves for now. My husband's parents were here for over a month," Marissa explained with a laugh, "and yet… I am letting Santana host this little new years party so maybe I _have_ gone insane."

Rachel laughed and hung her coat in the closet. Marissa pointed her up the stairs to Santana's room. She was a little early and the others wouldn't be there for a little while longer. Rachel knocked softly on Santana's door.

"Hi Chicka!" Santana greeted her, "Thank god you are here. I'm so bored." Rachel laughed at her.

"It's not funny! I haven't seen anyone under the age of 30, apart from my sister, since school let out," The Latina whined, "No Puck?"

Rachel shook her head, "he is babysitting his sister so will be here later. Dad and Emma dropped me off," she explained. Rachel helped Santana and her mom get everything ready for the get together and before long, the other guests were arriving.

"You had your cast taken off!" Santana smiled.

Rachel nodded and held up the arm with the brace on, "a couple more weeks with a brace and it will be as good as new."

Rachel tried to be social with everyone but it was hard for her to get used to being in a big crowd again. She made excuses to hide out in the kitchen whenever she needed a break. Like right now, she was refreshing everyone's drinks. As she turned from the fridge she spotted Noah in the doorway watching her.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said quietly, stepping into his arms.

"You okay, babe?" he was concerned.

"I'm fine… there is just… a lot of people here," she told him, "I just have to get used to them touching me again."

She welcomed in the New Year in the arms of her boyfriend. For the first time ever, Rachel celebrated New Year the way any teenager should and before she knew it, Noah was pulling up into her driveway, kissing her good night and waving goodbye as he drove away. She climbed into bed with a huge smile on her face. This year was going to be her year- The year where things went right for her.

* * *

It was a couple of days after New Year when Rachel and Will got the phone call they had been waiting for, for many months. Eli and Paul Berry had finally been found guilty of all their crimes. Rachel had openly cried in relief when Will told her they had been sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment each and wouldn't be able to get near her ever again. The family spent the evening celebrating with a quiet night in.

Rachel couldn't express how she felt at receiving the news. It was this gigantic burden that had finally been lifted off her shoulders. She knew it wasn't an instant fix to everything that had happened to her, but for the first time, Rachel felt like she could really _really_ move on.

* * *

Rachel was hanging off the couch reading one of her holiday reading books when her dad walked into the lounge room with her old diaries in his hand. He sat on the coffee table across from her and laughed at the way she was awkwardly lying upside down with her feet dangling over the back of the couch and her head over the seat.

"You've never been to New York?" he stated. Rachel shook her head in confirmation, closing her book and sitting up straight.

"You talk about how wonderful and amazing the place is and how you are going to live there when you graduate, but you have never been there," he said, silently asking for an explanation.

"It's not Lima. It's far enough away from…" she didn't need to say 'her fathers' for him to know she was thinking it, "I had to get out of here. I saw it on one of those travel shows when I was a child and it was just… amazing. All the lights and atmosphere just pulled me in. I vowed then that I would do everything I could to get there," Rachel explained. Will sighed at the realisation that Rachel's fixation on New York had more to do with its distance from Lima than it's glitz and glamorous Broadway- That was just an added bonus and the perfect job for Rachel. He handed her back her diaries.

"Thank you for letting me read them," he told her honestly, tapping the cover of one of them, "Open up the last one."

She looked at him strangely and he urged her to open the diary again. Curiously she flipped through the book and jumped in surprise when an envelope fell out. She looked up at him confused.

"Open it," he smiled. She did as he instructed and pulled out its contents. Her eyes widened in shock when she realised what they were and she looked up at him.

"Are these what I think they are?" she asked him.

"Well, I'm not letting you go off to school in New York without having been there at least once before hand," he nodded with a broad smile, "I have some leave from work owed to me, So, in a few weeks, you and I are taking a well deserved holiday," he pointed to the airline tickets in her hand, "We are going for a week and in that time we are not only going to see all the sights but we are also going to see as many shows on Broadway as we can fit in. Just you and me."

Rachel shrieked and threw herself at him, "Thank you!"

"You are more than welcome kiddo," he hugged her back, "when was the last time you went on a holiday?" he asked curiously.

Rachel hesitated to answer, "Well… I… I almost went on school camp a few years ago but my fa..." she stopped herself from staying the word 'fathers' and corrected herself, "… the Berry's found out and stopped me…. That's when I punched the wall in my room and broke my hand," she added quietly.

"You've never left Lima?" he was surprised.

"Apart from the few day trips I've taken with school, no," she admitted.

"Rachel, I'm never going to fully understand everything you have been through… but I want you to understand that _whatever_ you decide you want to do with your life, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens for you," he told her seriously, "and if school in New York and Broadway is what you want, then I am okay with that."

"I… um…" Rachel wasn't sure what to say, "You are, the best dad, in the world… I mean that. I can pretty safely say that I would not be here today if it wasn't for you. I didn't think I was worth anything and well, I thought everyone would be better off if I wasn't here," she unconsciously ran her fingertips over the scars on her left wrist, "Now I know that's not the case."

Will didn't say anything. He just pulled her towards him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He had seen the scars on her wrists and made the assumption that they had been caused by Rachel hurting herself not her fathers doing the hurting, now she was just confirming it.

_**Any thoughts? Please review!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Big chapter to say sorry for the delay. I'm glad there are still a few of you reading this. I've become rather uninspired when it comes to Glee now as I am sure a lot of us are with several of our favourites leaving the show. But, if I can, I'd like to finish this story. Someone actually PM messaged me this morning asking if I was going to update this story. LOL! I was working on it when I got your PM!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

The next week went normally, school started up again and the Schuester family settled back into their routine. They had started planning their trip to New York together for the next month and Rachel was so excited. The following Thursday, Will drove Rachel to dancing and pulled into the car park. Rachel looked at him curiously. He normally just dropped her off and then came back to pick her up.

"It's the parent's information day today," he smiled, "remember?"

"Oh… I forgot about that," she said, running off to get ready and warmed up. Will listened to her dance teachers talk about the upcoming plans for the new year. He took all the information booklets given to him and once the talk was over he stood on the balcony overlooking the large gym and dance areas. He watched as Rachel listened to her ballet teacher and concentrated intently. He smiled as he recognised that face as determination.

"She is very good, isn't she?" A voice said from behind him. He turned to see the dance school's principal smiling at him and nodded his agreement.

"She has been on a scholarship here since she started… since recent events have come to light, I have realised that without that scholarship, she wouldn't have been able to dance. Rachel is the most talented young girl I have ever seen… and I have been doing this a very long time," the woman smiled down at the girl, "I will never forget the day she waltzed in here and sat herself down just watching the other girls dance. She used to stand up here and try to copy what they did… eventually I asked why she was here and if she wanted to dance but she told me her parents couldn't afford for her to dance so I helped her apply for the scholarship…Look, I don't know if she told you but it's our New Year performance next weekend. It's a big showcase for parents to see what we did the previous year. Rachel is the only student not to have brought back her permission slip and costume money…"

"She didn't tell me about it," Will replied, "she never asks for money."

"I figured that was what happened, so I put in all the order forms for her costumes just in case… they arrived the other day," the woman, Shannon, explained, "She has never participated in the show. I have tried to push the issue in previous years but my phone calls were never returned. I had to give up. But I have a set of costumes for her, if you decide she is going to do it."

"Thank you," Will pulled his cheque book out of his wallet, "Do you have spare copies of all the forms?"

Shannon led Will through to her office where he filled in all the required paperwork and wrote out a cheque. The woman smiled brightly at him, "It's good to see Rachel so happy. She has a private gymnastics lesson in fifteen minutes," she explained, "If you think she is good at dancing wait till you see her gymnastics capabilities. It would be good to see her compete this year. We don't let parents at ground level for group lessons but since this is a private lesson, would you like to go down and watch?"

"Thank you," Will nodded, "… and if you think she is good at all of this, you should hear her sing," Will replied proudly, "or watch her draw… She certainly has amazing talents when it comes to the arts."

He carried the costume bag Shannon handed him down to the car and then climbed back up stairs to the parents viewing area while he waited, and watched the end of Rachel's ballet lesson.

"Rachel's back," a woman spoke quietly to her friend a seats down. Will eavesdropped discretely, "I heard she broke her arm again. For a girl with so much talent… she always seems to be injured."

The woman's friend nodded her agreement, "Do you think she's performing at New Year show?"

"I doubt it. Her parent's have never let her before… That girl could have been an Olympic champion if she was allowed to compete. Her tumbling is amazing. Although, I have heard a rumour that there are 'dramas' at home," the first woman speculated.

Will couldn't help but interrupt, "You can rest assured, Rachel will be performing this year, and competing, if that's what she wants."

"And you are…?"

"Will Schuester. Rachel's father… _foster_ father," he explained with a pointed stare, "she may not have been allowed to perform previously, but things have changed and she will be given any and all opportunities she wants."

The two women, took in the news with surprise, "Oh… is… is she okay?" one of them stumbled.

"She's getting there. We've had a few set backs in the last few months… but I've filed for adoption."

The conversation was interrupted by the Shannon's return, "Mr Schuester, I'll take you down now if you would still like to watch."

The teacher led Will down to the ground level where he was introduced to one of Rachel's gymnastics coaches.

"Daddy! What are you doing down here?" Rachel said, coming up from behind him.

"I was invited down to watch," he explained, "is that okay?"

Rachel smiled and nodded eagerly at him. Will watched as she tightly strapped up what was her broken wrist and coated her hands and feet in chalk. Will understood that the women he was speaking to before were looking down at the unusual family curiously as he helped Rachel cut the tape.

"How is the wrist Rachel?" her coach, Jason, asked her.

Rachel grinned and flexed the limb in question, "never better."

"Alright, well, we'll just start off with some basic warm ups today to ease you back into it," the man told her. He led Rachel through a range of different exercises which helped her get used to putting weight on her arm again. After a while of correcting and assisting Rachel's technique, Jason smiled at her.

"Do you want to get up on the beam?" he asked. Rachel nodded eagerly and jumped up with speed and ease. She warmed up a little before jumping off and waiting for her coach's instruction, "Beam is her favourite apparatus and understandably so… she is _very_ good at it," Jason explained to the girls father before turning back to Rachel, "Okay Rach… Don't push your arm too much if it hurts… let's see what you've got."

She smiled and took a run up, flipping her body onto the beam neatly. By the time Rachel had finished her routine with a clean dismount, Will was speechless. It was yet another thing he didn't know about his daughter. The way she threw herself into the air and yet her feet still managed to find the thin beam below her. It was especially impressive since this was the first time she had done this since hurting her wrist.

He went back to the viewing area after Rachel's lesson while she was getting changed. She bounced happily out to him and he told her just how impressed he was.

"I cannot believe, you have been part of the Glee club for this long and yet, I didn't know what an amazing athlete you are too. No wonder you have fitted in so well with the Cheerio's," he told her proudly, taking her bag from her and slinging it over his own shoulder. The two mothers he had been speaking to earlier walked up to stand in front of Rachel and her father.

"Hello Mrs Watson and Ms O'Brien," Rachel said politely.

"Hello Rachel dear," the taller woman smiled, "Your dad was just telling us that you are performing in the New Year's show next weekend. We can't wait to see your performance!"

Rachel's head snapped up to look at her dad.

"I signed your permission form earlier," he explained, "your costumes are in the car." Rachel smiled brightly at him.

* * *

That evening, Will called Rachel into the dinning room from her bedroom, "Sit down," he told her before passing her a stack of papers, "these got dropped off earlier."

Rachel looked over the pieces of paper with her hands shaking as she realised what they were- The paperwork finalising her adoption. All it was missing was his signatures and those of her social worker.

"If this is still what you want, I will take them to Social Services during lunch tomorrow," he told her.

Rachel looked up at him and nodded in confirmation, "this is what I want."

"Okay. I'll sign the paperwork and finalise it tomorrow," he smiled, "You'll be a Schuester by the time school lets out tomorrow afternoon. That's if you still want to change your name."

"I want to be a Schuester. I don't want to ever have a connection to the Berry's again. You're my dad- I should have your surname."

"It's okay. I understand and I want you to be a Schuester too. You are a very special girl."

* * *

Rachel couldn't help but be somewhat nervous on Friday. She called passed her dad's office during lunch to find him gone. She knew he wouldn't be there but seeing his chair empty and his keys missing from the draw of his desk made it all the more real. She was busy trying to concentrate on the English paper in front of her during last period when a knock at the classroom door made her look up.

Her dad walked in and whispered to her teacher before waving her outside. No one in her class questioned this knowing that Mr Schue was her faculty advisor and Glee coach but David Karofsky smiled at her, knowing it was probably something else, as she left the room with her bag slung over her shoulder. Will sat her down in the seat across from his desk.

"Welcome to the family, _officially_, Rachel Schuester," he smiled at her brightly and handed her a copy of her adoption certificate. She looked over the piece of paper in her hand, lightly running her fingers over her new name. She stood and walked to her father. Sitting herself down on his knee, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered a 'thank you' into his ear.

"You are more than welcome Kiddo…" he kissed her forehead, "now do you want to tell the Glee kids and Emma or should I?" Will asked. Apart from Will's brief discussion with Emma about their plans, the pair hadn't told anyone about Will's intentions to formally adopt Rachel just in case things didn't go in their favour.

"uh… You can," Rachel said shyly.

"Okay. School is almost out. Do you want to head to the choir room and have a bit of extra practise while we wait?" he smiled. Rachel jumped off his lap and headed straight through to the room in question. When the other Glee kids arrived, Will was directing Rachel through her one of her solos.

"How do you get here so quickly after class?" Santana asked as Rachel took a seat next to her.

"Daddy came to get me from last period early," Rachel explained, "he wanted to talk to me."

"Yes… and now I want to talk to all of you," Will said as Emma, Coach Beiste and Principal Figgins entered the room as well to hear the news. Will waved Rachel over to him, "Come here Rach," he pulled Rachel gently in front of him and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Rach and I have some news. We haven't told you this before today in case things didn't turn out but a while back I filed the paperwork to legally adopt Rachel and as of lunch time today, Rachel is officially my daughter _and_ she is now a Schuester," he smiled.

Although people were shocked by the development, they all cheered at the good news.

"That is fantastic news!" Emma congratulated the pair, kissing Rachel's forehead and pulling Will's lips down to meet hers briefly. Rachel felt a strong set of arms wrap around her waist. Recognising the scent as that of her boyfriend, she relaxed into his grasp and felt Noah's breath on the back of her neck. She twisted in his arms slightly to meet his gaze.

"Congratulations babe," he whispered, kissing her soundly.

After celebrating for a while longer, Emma, Coach Beiste and Principal Figgins left, leaving the rest of the group to practice for Sectionals. The big competition was only three weeks away now. They had finally settled on a set list they were happy with but Mr Schue was insisting they had rehearsals on the weekends as well to ensure they were as prepared as possible. The extra rehearsals were full on, especially for Rachel who was also practicing for her dance concert. Rachel would be singing the Ballard but Quinn, Tina and Santana were taking the female leads for the other numbers.

Will called his parents straight after school with the exciting news. Rebekah also rang to congratulate the pair after hearing about it from her son. The two families made arrangements for dinner that evening and at eight that night, the Rachel and Noah were relaxing on the Puckerman couch after a celebratory dinner.

"Why is your dad insisting we have to rehearse at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning?" Noah whined playfully, "We should just skip practice and spend some time together."

"We need to practice," Rachel laughed, "and I think dad might notice if I'm not there."

"Yeah probably, but it would be nice to spend some time together."

Just then, Will walked into the living room to tell Rachel they were leaving. She had an idea.

"Daddy," Rachel smiled sweetly, "Can Noah sleep over tonight? We have rehearsals early tomorrow anyway," she asked hopefully. Will and Rebekah looked at each other having a silent conversation.

"I suppose, if it's okay with Rebekah then he can stay over," Will replied slowly. With his mom's permission, Noah quickly packed an overnight bag and climbed into the car with the family.

While Rachel showered, Will had a word with Noah while they made up a bed for him on the sofa.

"Look, I don't know if she has told you but… she has been having nightmares since the incident with the Berry's at school. She hasn't had one in a few days but with everything that's happened today… I just don't want you to panic if you hear her wake up at night."

"Oh, Okay," Noah was surprised. Rachel hadn't mentioned anything to him. When Rachel returned from the bathroom dressed in her pyjamas, she flopped down on the sofa close to Noah.

"I've never had someone sleep over before," she grinned at him.

"Well then, I'm glad I could be your first," Noah smirked at her. Will practically choked on the glass of water he was drinking as he walked back into the room. A look of shock passed over the teens face when he realised what his girlfriends father was thinking, "No! I didn't mean it like that! Rachel has never had anyone sleep over before… I just meant that this is her first sleep over… in a completely non… dirty way."

"Thank god. I don't think I'm ready to have that discussion with both of you yet," Will sighed in relief, "but you Missy," he pointed at Rachel and warned her with a smile, "Don't think this gets you out of finishing our conversation from a few weeks ago… especially if you are going to start having sleepovers now."

Rachel blushed, remembering that he had suggested she go on the pill but she had not yet been to the doctors.

"Don't stay up too late, okay?" Will kissed Rachel's head, "Night."

The pair stayed up a little while longer watching TV. Rachel yawned from her spot next to Noah.

"Go to bed Rach, you're tired and we have practice in the morning and you've got dance in the afternoon," he kissed her gently.

"I want to stay here," she whispered, "with you."

"As much as I would love that Rach, I don't think your dad would like it and I don't want to break his trust," he replied.

"I love you," she told him honestly.

"I love you too… Rachel Schuester," he replied, making her giggle, "… now get your cute little ass to bed."

* * *

Noah jumped awake at the sound of someone screaming in the house. Sitting up quickly, it took him a minute to realise where he was but hearing Rachel scream, he climbed out of bed and headed to his girlfriends room. As he walked down the hall he came face to face with a tired Will who was heading to Rachel's room from his own. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Will nodded towards Noah and pushed Rachel's door open.

Noah watched in surprise as his teacher calmed Rachel down and she drifted back to sleep. Tucking her back in and brushing the hair from her face, Will quietly tiptoed out of the room and closed the door.

"She usually doesn't remember it in the morning," Will told him, "She knows she has nightmares and that I have to calm her down but doesn't always remember being awake. She used to have 'episodes' a few times a night but it's getting better."

The pair went their separate ways and climbed into their beds. The next time Noah woke was when he felt movement on the couch next to him. His eyes fluttered open to meet those of Rachel.

"Morning Babe," he said bringing a hand up to rest on her hip. His voice was still husky from sleep, "What time is it?"

Rachel smiled at him, "Just after six. Did you sleep okay?"

"Uh… yeah," he replied. He remembered what Will had said about Rachel not remembering much about her nightmares. Rachel narrowed her eyes at him.

"I woke up last night, didn't I?" she dropped her head and stared at her hands. Noah sat up quickly and pulled her towards him.

"It's okay Rachel…" he tried to reassure her, lifting her chin up to look at him.

"No! It's not!" Rachel cried, "I am a Schuester now and yet they are still ruining my life! I just want them to go away."

"I know baby, I know…" he kissed her gently, "but your dad says it's getting better. This is all still pretty fresh. You just need to hold out a little longer."

Rachel sighed, "I love you."

"I love you too, Rach… more than I thought I could ever love someone," he admitted. She lowered her lips to his.

"Okay you two… save it for later, when I'm not around. You need to start getting ready for Glee and Rachel you need to pack your dance bag too," Will interrupted them, coming into the lounge with a mug of coffee. He had seen Rachel's little breakdown and watched with a smile as Noah successfully managed to calm her down. With one last kiss, Rachel rushed off to get ready.

Will looked over at Noah and laughed. It was fairly obvious the boy wasn't much of a morning person, whereas he knew Rachel was, "She is… lively… in the mornings," he chuckled, "there is a pot of coffee on the bench… help yourself."

"Thanks," Puck murmured.

The group got ready and piled into the Schuester car. When the rest of the Glee club arrived, they found the three in the auditorium. Will was busy talking to the band while Rachel and Noah were in their own little world of to the side of the stage.

"Well Well… Puck is the first to an early rehearsal… I never thought this day would come," Santana joked, "what did Rachel have to do to drag you in this early?"

"I stayed at their house last night so Rachel didn't let me sleep in," he told the group.

"Ooooh, Sleepovers already," Mike teased, "Geez, Rach… your dad is pretty relaxed."

Rachel shifted uncomfortably. She knew her friends were only joking but their teasing made her feel unnerved.

"For the record, I slept on the couch…" Noah clarified seeing that Rachel was far from comfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.

"… and Rachel knows the rules," Will interrupted, "alright, lets get started."

The teacher led the group through rehearsals, directing them on their singing, dancing and stage presence. He worked them hard and they were exhausted.

"Mr Schue, can we take a break now," Rachel asked with a sigh, keeping up the rule she had to call her dad by his surname at school, "I think I need to stretch and relax for a while." The group of teens collapsed on the floor of the stage in a heap. After a few minutes of silence, Rachel stood and quickly warmed up her muscles. The teens watched as she quickly turned herself upside-down and stood in a perfect handstand. They watched as she held it longer and longer before she eventually pulled out neatly.

"68 seconds," Will said, "it's getting better."

"Still not where it was," Rachel said quietly.

"You have only had your cast off for a couple of weeks and you're tired. Give it some time. The fact you can do a handstand, let alone your all your dancing and beam routine, is amazing," Will told her.

"You're back at dance and gymnastics already?" Tina asked surprised.

"Yeah, I love it," Rachel told the group.

"She's got a concert next weekend… Some of the stuff she can do is just _insane_," Will said proudly, stepping back from his role as teacher and into his role as a father, "… impossibly insane… especially on the beam."

"Show us!" Someone demanded playfully.

"Where? There is no beam in here and it's not exactly a great place to practice tumbling," Rachel said confused.

"But there is in the gym and Mr Schue can let us in," Quinn said grabbing Rachel's hand and pulling her up. The group ran through the halls to the gym and watched as Rachel and Will set the beam up with tumbling mats around it. She did a quick warm up before she began her routine as she normally did. Flipping herself in different directions, each time her hands and feet managed to find the beam. Even the boys were impressed.

"Fuck Rachel!" Santana called, "that was amazing. Don't let Coach Sylvester know you are that awesome or she'll find a way to tie it in to all our Cheerio's numbers. If you can do all of that on a beam you must be pretty good on the ground too, right?"

"I like gymnastics it's fun… and the falling… well," Rachel looked at her friends honestly, "I was used to getting hurt anyway so I figured what was a few more bruises."

The group played around for a while, laughing as Finn and some of the other boys attempted to walk across the beam without success. Rachel showed off how easy she found it by running across the beam without losing her balance and then doing a front somersault and landing neatly. Then she tried to teach the girls some basics and was surprised when Brittany picked it up pretty easily.

"You're pretty good Brittany. Have you done gymnastics before?" Rachel asked as her friend managed to jump up and down on the beam without falling off.

"No, but I have done acrobatics before," Brittany replied, "It's different to gymnastics though."

"Hey Mr Schue?" Finn called out, "If Brittany and Rachel are up for it, maybe we should try and tie some of this stuff into our performance. It would give us an edge over the other teams."

Brittany and Rachel looked at each other and smiled at the suggestion. Finn was right. It would be something unique for the team to do.

* * *

_**Bit of a filler chapter, but I hope it was okay!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


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